Opportunities for responsibly disposing Christmas trees and holiday light strings

The Three Kings have dropped off their gifts and are returning to their own countries by a different route, just as they were warned to do in a dream. It is now time to take down the Christmas decorations. But must the tree just be left at the curb or in the alley for garbage pickup? What about that light string that burned so brightly in December... but failed just after New Year's?

Chicago area residents have several options to responsibly dispose of their used Christmas trees and no-longer-working light strings.

As seen in the poster above, the Chicago Park District lists 27 locations at which residents may drop off their used Christmas trees. Dropoff dates are supposed to be between this Saturday, January 11, and Saturday January 25, but I can state for a fact that a lot of trees have already been dropped off at Norwood Park already. (When you put up a tree right after Halloween, even though you make heroic efforts to keep it moist, it's almost impossible that the poor thing will make it all the way to Día de los Reyes Magos... there were a few trees at the park on the Feast of St. Stephen.)

And, as of Monday, January 13, your used tree can be traded in for usable mulch, at least at the locations indicated above.

If you act quickly enough, you can turn your used tree into goat food: According to this post from Channel 11, the Urban Growers Collective is recycling trees by feeding them to their herd of goats. Trees may be dropped off until 5:00 p.m. today and from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, January 11, at the collective's South Chicago Farm, 9001 S. Mackinaw Street (enter off 90th Street).

North suburban readers may want to donate their used trees at one of eight locations operated by the Lake County Forest Preserve District. This Patch article lists all eight donation sites. Used trees will be accepted at these locations until Feburary 1.

At least some of the trees donated will be used by Lake County as "fish cribs." According to the Channel 11 article, donated trees are tied together and weighted down with cinderblocks or similar heavy objects, then submerged in larger lakes, such as former quarries, where they can provide a vital habitat for young fish.

As for holiday light strings which have given up the Ghost of Christmas Past, Reduce Waste Chicago has announced 30 locations at which used light strings will be accepted. All are listed at this link, from the Edgebrook Ace Hardware Store at 5423 W. Devon, to the UPS Store at 6102 S. Archer Ave. in Chicago. Outside Chicago, lights will be collected at the Rebuilding Exchange, 1245 Hartrey Ave. in Evanston and by the PTO at Whittier Elementary, 715 N. Harvey, in Oak Park (donations must be made during school hours).

Reduce Waste Chicago says that, last year, more than 3,000 pounds of lights were collected from 24 locations last year. Thanks to the expansionof collection sites, the organization expects to collect even more this year (through January 31). (Credit to this article by Pavan Acharya of Block Club Chicago for this information.)

Readers should know that different municipalities have different, often contradictory, rules about what materials may be recycled in their communities. The City of Chicago, for example, complained a couple of years ago that shiny wrapping paper -- you know, the good stuff -- was not recyclable.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this week about a new app called Recycle Coach that several Chicago-area municipalities, including now the City of Chicago itself, are using to help residents determine what is and is not recyclable in their area.