While many City of Ann Arbor residents are just beginning to deck their halls for the holidays, those heading out of town for the season may already be wondering what to do with their Christmas trees before they leave. Undecorated Christmas trees may be dropped off — all day every day and for free — in the parking lot adjacent to the Drop-off Station at 2950 E. Ellsworth starting Wednesday, Dec. 15 through Monday, Jan. 31, 2011. Undecorated trees may also be cut and bundled or placed into "Compostable" carts for collection when the seasonal curbside pickup program resumes on April 4, 2010.

The collected evergreen trees are chipped into mulch or composted. Any metal, glass or plastic ornaments left on the tree can ruin the processing equipment, harm the operators and spoil the landscaping mulch. For these reasons, the trees must have all tree stands, nails, ornaments, tinsel and plastic bags removed. Since wreaths and evergreen roping are generally made with wire or plastic backing, these items should be placed inside trash carts.  

For another free drop-off option, Ann Arbor residents may also deliver up to one cubic yard of acceptable yard debris, including trees, at no charge per visit to the municipal Compost Center, 4150 Platt Road (734-794-6380), open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents must check into the MRF scalehouse before depositing the materials. This option for all acceptable compostable materials is available year-round. Non-residents will be assessed a disposal fee.

Beginning in February, Christmas trees brought to Drop-Off Station (DOS) location must be taken inside the DOS during normal operating hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (734-971-7400). A small yardwaste fee will be assessed in addtion to the $3 DOS entrance fee.

Please note that the current fiscal year budget does not include a winter curbside collection of Christmas trees. Therefore, residents should plan to dispose of their trees at either of the drop-off locations or cut and tie their trees into bundles and reserve for the beginning of compost collection season, on April 4, 2011. Compostables prepared as bundled brush, and materials placed in paper yardwaste bags and inside optional compost carts, are accepted on the weekly solid waste collection days during the growing season.

For 24-hour information on the city’s solid waste services, please phone 723-99-GREEN or view the city’s Web site at www.a2gov.org/compost.

Nancy Stone is the Communications Liaison for Public Services at the City of Ann Arbor. She can be reached at nstone@a2gov.org. Visit www.a2gov.org for more information on local environmental topics including recycling, composting, water conservation, and choices for green living.

Your World provides local environmental information to our community. Contributing partners include: Washtenaw County’s Environmental Health Division; the nonprofit Recycle Ann Arbor; the City of Ann Arbor’s Public Services Area, Natural Area Preservation, Systems Planning programs for Energy, Environmental Coordination, Solid Waste, Transportation, and Water Resources.