Recycling Christmas Trees

The fragrance of a live Christmas trees is delightful! Since 1988, natural, decoration-free Christmas trees have been collected and recycled into a wonderfully scented mulch that evokes joyous memories of the holiday season.  All Cape May County municipalities provide a collection service, however, schedules vary from town to town.  Municipalities, residents, businesses and vendors who sold Christmas trees can deliver Christmas trees to the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority’s (CMCMUA) Landfill Complex in Woodbine or the Transfer Station in Burleigh, free of charge until Jan. 31, 2018.  Some towns may deliver their trees to Cape May County coastal areas for beach restoration purposes.
Stands and all decorations must be removed from Christmas trees. If your tree is in a bag when taking it to the curb, please remove the bag and dispose of it in the trash.  Live, flocked (fluffy snow-like coating) evergreen trees are included in the recycling program; however, wreaths, garlands and other similar Christmas decorations are not included.  Beginning Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018, mulch from the chipped Christmas trees will be available to Cape May County residents free of charge at the CMCMUA’s Transfer Station in Burleigh and at the Landfill Complex in Woodbine. 
This will be the 29th year for the CMCMUA’s Christmas tree recycling program.  Last year, 57 tons of Christmas trees became mulch.  Since the program began in 1989, a total of 2,166     tons, or an estimated 123,781 trees, have been recycled. As Christmas trees are accepted without charge during the holiday season each year to provide for the Christmas tree mulch, the estimated cost avoidance of this program to date is $165,396.
CLICK HERE to see the 2017-2018 Christmas tree municipal collection schedules for Cape May County. Happy Holidays! 
For additional information, contact Lyn Crumbock at (609) 465-9026 or crumbockls@cmcmua.com.