The beginning of 2018 means the end of the holiday season — and soon, Queens residents will be getting rid of their live Christmas trees.
Starting this Sunday, Dec. 31, Queens residents can bring their live Douglas firs, balsams and other holiday pines to 13 local parks as the Parks Department kicks off “MulchFest 2018.”
The program, being conducted in conjunction with the Sanitation Department and Green NYC, recycles live Christmas trees into mulch for use as garden fertilizer throughout the city.
“Recycling your Christmas tree is a great environmental way to continue to spread holiday cheer across the city,” state Senator Joseph Addabbo said. “Your tree will be used in a multitude of ways to help the city’s trees to survive the cold season and grow strong in the spring.”
Residents can start bringing their bare, live Christmas trees to 13 drop-off points in Queens on Dec. 31. Collections will continue through Sunday, Jan. 7.
Trees will be chipped during the weekend of Jan. 6-7 at seven of the 13 drop-off points in the borough; residents can take home a bag of free mulch from these chipping centers.
The Queens drop-off locations are as follows (chipping centers are in bold):
- Astoria Park, 19th Street and Hoyt Avenue;
- Brookville Park, Brookville Boulevard between Caney Road and 144th Avenue;
- Captain Mario Fajardo Playground, Kissena Boulevard at Booth Memorial Avenue, Flushing;
- Cunningham Park, 196th Place and Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows;
- Forest Park, Forest Park Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard;
- Hunters Point South Park, LIC Landing Events Space at 51st Avenue and Center Boulevard, Long Island City;
- Juniper Valley Park, 80th Street between Juniper Boulevards North and South, Middle Village;
- Queensbridge Park, Vernon Boulevard and Queensbridge Park Greenway, Long Island City;
- Rockaway Beach at 2 points, Beach 94th Street and Shore Front Parkway and the parking lot at Beach 11th Street;
- Roy Wilkins Park, Merrick and Foch boulevards, South Jamaica;
- Travers Park, 78th Street and 34th Avenue, Jackson Heights; and
- Lawrence Virgilio Playground, 39th Drive and 54th Street, Woodside.
If you can’t make it out to the drop-off points, the Sanitation Department will hold a special round of curbside Christmas tree collections on Jan. 2 through Jan. 18.
Before disposing of your Christmas trees at the drop-off points or by the curb, be sure to remove any lights, ornaments, garland and netting.
Click here for more MulchFest information.
