Best Christmas tree disposal tips
(CBS DETROIT) - Are you a person who gets rid of their Christmas tree the day after Christmas? Or do you keep it up through the new year?
Regardless of how long you keep it up, disposing of it properly means all the difference.
"Don't burn it. Right. You'd be surprised how many people use that as an option," says Aaron Hiday, compost program coordinator for the state of Michigan
The Michigan department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says the best route for tree disposal is checking with your local municipality. Hiday says the majority of Christmas trees end up as mulch or composted. The goal however, is to keep them out of landfills to any extent possible.
Hiday says some people, including himself, take the trees and make brush piles for rabbits. While there are plenty of options for disposing your tree Hiday mentioned burning it on your own isn't ideal.
"Sometimes that can be a problem because folks don't realize how dry that tree got and it goes up quick. If it's in the wrong spot in the backyard, it could cause a lot more problems than what you were, what you were looking for," Hiday said.
If you don't have a real tree but have one that you are looking to move on from, EGLE recommends selling or giving it away, donating it, or recycling it at a local scrapyard if it is made primarily of metal.