Chipping Away at Holiday Waste – Scouts Recycle Lacey Christmas Trees

lacey christmas tree recycling
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By Kathryn Millhorn

lacey christmas tree recycling
Boy Scouts will be canvasing Lacey on Saturday. Trees outside by 8:00 am on Saturday, January 4 will be recycled by local Scouts.

It’s finally that time of year: ornaments and lights are packed away, the ribbons and bows are folded flat for re-use, and the festive foods are mere crumbs on the counter (and inches on our middles!).  With this rush of pre-Spring cleaning, the largest obstacle, sometimes literally, is the Christmas tree.

Thurston County residents have many options overall when it comes to tree disposal.  City of Lacey residents are encouraged to participate in tree recycling through a joint effort of the city, waste management, and local Boy Scout troops.

For the fourth year in a row, the City of Lacey has paired with Scout troops to arrange for curbside tree pick-up.  This year’s willing volunteers hail from Troop 222, Troop 9101, Troop 718, Troop 48, Pack 116, Pack 9208, and Pack 9215.  While they provide this as a community service, they will also gladly accept donations towards future troop endeavors.

Last year alone, over 90 Scouts and their leaders helped recycle over 1200 trees, says Mary Coppin, the Community Liaison for the City of Lacey’s Public Affairs Department.  All trees picked up will be turned into mulch for use “throughout the year for maintenance projects in parks and on other city properties.”

This convenient method saves residents the drive to the Hawks Prairie Waste and Recovery Center but that’s always an option for folks willing to do the heavy lifting themselves.  Emily Orme, Education and Outreach Specialist for Thurston County Solid Waste says that “the trees that get taken to the Waste and Recovery Center at Hawks Prairie are chipped down and sold as ‘hog fuel’ a type of fuel to burn for industrial purposes.  Last year, city crews and individual residents brought just over 36 tons of trees to the Waste and Recovery Center. That’s a decrease from the previous year, which was close to 57 tons.”

lacey christmas tree recycleThis year’s Boy Scout pick-up is scheduled for Saturday, January 4.  Marvin Johnson, the Boy Scouts Christmas Tree Pickup Chairperson, said that last year “the Scouts were able to collect the trees in 4 hours which normally took the city 2 weeks to do.  Thus the Scouts were also able to pack 2 weeks’ worth of fun into 4 hours.  You will see many happy smiling Scout faces doing the job of picking up Christmas Trees.  Service never seemed so much fun.”

To be eligible for pick-up, Lacey residents must have their trees to the curb by 8:00am on Saturday.  They need to be completely emptied of ornaments, tinsel, nails, and stands to facilitate easy chipping.  Residents outside the city limits may deliver trees to the Waste and Recovery Center in Hawks Prairie and those in neighboring towns should check the Thurston County recycling guidelines.

While the end of the holiday season can be bittersweet, I enjoy this opportunity to put my home back in order.  Somehow the dark, damp winter months are more manageable after a little forced housekeeping (those fallen needles won’t vacuum themselves).  Finding an opportunity like this which helps not only my sanity but the Scouting community and the city keeps the Christmas spirit around for just that much longer.

 

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