Christmas tree farm owner: When recycling trees, think of ways to give back to the environment
BELVIDERE, N.J. -- Getting ready to get rid of your Christmas tree?
CBS2 learned Wednesday how you can recycle your tree and give back to the environment at the same time.
The way most people toss out their tree is by putting them at the curb. But at Wyckoff's Christmas Tree Farm in Belvidere, they're dumping all leftover trees into a mulch pile.
"As they rot down in a couple of years, we'll spread them back on the fields as top soil after they've composted," owner John Wyckoff said.
The farm has been in Wyckoff's family for 183 years. He lives and breathes trees, which is he's passionate about reusing them to save the environment.
"They're re used in ponds and lakes as a fish habitat. They're used on the beaches to preserve dunes," Wyckoff said.
READ MORE: New York City's annual 'Mulchfest' Christmas tree recycling program returns
Down the Jersey Shore, conservancy groups will protect shorelines from beach erosion by using Christmas trees as barriers.
The most common way to recycle trees is to chip them into mulch and then use the mulch around the base of trees and the garden to protect plants from the cold.
Starting Jan. 3 in the Long Island town of Hempstead, residents can have their trees shredded at the town's annual Mulch Fest and walk away with a bag of mulch.
They can also donate their trees to a herd of Nigerian dwarf goats so they can munch on them.
"They love these trees. They're good for their system. They're eco-friendly," Supervisor Don Clavin said.
There are other ways your tree can help animals.
"A lot of folks, they'll put them outdoors, and let the birds nest in them, roost in them over the winter. It creates a bit of a cover for them, a place for them to get out of the weather," Wyckoff said.
There are so many ways your biodegradable tree can give back to the environment.