ATLANTA — People will soon be rockin' around the Christmas tree celebrating the holidays. And once the new year rings in, Georgia families will have a chance to practice sustainability by recycling their Christmas trees.
The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation’s Bring One for the Chipper tree recycling program has been around for 33 years and during that time, organizers said more than 6 million trees have been diverted from landfills.
This year's "treecycling" event will happen at over 120 locations across the state on Saturday, Jan. 6. An important note to keep in mind is that only live trees will be accepted. Trees should be unbound and free of decorations.
The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation is collaborating with 11Alive, The Home Depot, Davey Tree Expert Company, Georgia Forestry Commission, Ferry Morse Seed Company and Burpee Seed Company for the event.
Organizers said the program uses a large number of trees to create mulch that is used for playgrounds, city landscaping projects, and homes. Davey Tree even provides free mulch to metro Atlanta residents.
Here's a look at last year's numbers from the event, according to Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation's website:
- 54,066 trees collected from 123 locations across the state
- 47,883 were recycled into mulch
- 1,596 trees were sunk into lakes in order to provide fish habitats
- 3,644 were used for fuel or other uses
For people who want to participate in the statewide event on Jan. 6, organizers have a county-based location list available on the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation's website. Some sites will also have additional dates available for drop-offs. Depending on the location, some participants may receive a complimentary seedling or seed packets in return.
Learn more about the program and its sustainability efforts here.
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