Mulch ado about holiday trees

Christmas tree still sitting in the living room? No problem,says Department of Sanitation.

On January 3, the agency will begin its annual curbside collectionof trees. The pickup efforts will run through the 14th of January.The trees must be bare of all lights, tinsel, ornaments and standsand be un-bagged. All trees that have been collected will be grounddown and spread across parks, ball fields, and community gardensthroughout the city.

The Department is very pleased to offer this special recyclingservice. Providing collection and recycling options for residentsis environmentally valuable and benefits our neighborhoods, saidSanitation Commissioner John Doherty.

For local gardeners, the fun begins on January 7 and 8 when thecity’s Parks Department will hold MulchFest 2012. The event,Allows residents to take part in the recycling process and permitsthem to even reuse their composted Christmas trees to fertilize forthe spring, Doherty noted. Compost is a natural fertilizer and isan excellent soil enrichment that promotes the healthy growth ofplants and grass.

The event will take place from 10 A.M to 2 P.M. at locationscitywide. People can bring their stripped-down tree to aparticipating location and watch it be turned into recyclablematerial. Attendees can also take home a free bag of mulch.

Last year, 6,627 trees were collected in Brooklyn during Mulchfest,out of 16,666 trees collected citywide, according to the ParksDepartment.

To find locations visit www.nyc.gov/parks. Some local sites areOwls Head Park at Colonial Road and 68th Street, Sunset Park at44th Street and Sixth Avenue and Greenwood Cemetery (drop-off only)at 25th Street and Fourth Avenue.