Need to get rid of that Christmas tree?
The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Chicago Park District are partnering to offer Christmas tree recycling at many park district locations, starting this weekend.
Forestry Crews from the Department of Streets and Sanitation will chip live Christmas trees into mulch from Saturday, Jan. 4, to Saturday, Jan. 18, at 23 locations citywide (scroll down for a complete list and interactive map), according to the city.
“Christmas tree recycling is an easy and an environmentally-friendly alternative for residents to dispose of their trees,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a written statement. “Each year through the Christmas tree recycling program, we are able to divert thousands of Christmas trees away from landfills for reuse in our community.”
The Christmas tree recycling program cannot accept tree decorations, tree lights, wreaths or garland at these locations, the city said. And residents must remove ornaments, lights, tinsel and stands before dropping off their trees to be recycled inside tree corrals at the parks.
Limited amounts of free mulch will be available for residents to collect from all tree drop-off locations starting Friday, Jan. 10, it said.
Last year, Chicagoans recycled more than 16,800 trees, according to the city. That’s up from 14,300 trees recycled in January 2012.
Here’s a complete list of Christmas Tree recycling drop-off locations:
Bessemer Park, 8930 S. Muskegon Ave.
Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell St.
Forestry Site, 900 E. 103rd St.
Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Ave.
Grant Park, 900 S. Columbus Dr.
Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1369 N. Sacramento Ave.
Jackson Park, 6300 S. Cornell Ave.
Kennedy Park, 2427 W. 113th St.
Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.
Lake Meadows Park, 3117 S. Rhodes Ave.
Lincoln Park, Cannon Drive at Fullerton Avenue (parking lot east of Cannon Drive)
Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr.
Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave.
McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
Mt. Greenwood Park, 3721 W. 111th St.
North Park Village, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave.
Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.
Riis Park, 6201 W. Wrightwood Ave.
Rowan Park, 11546 S. Avenue L
Sheridan Park, 910 S. Aberdeen St.
Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave.
Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett Ave.
And here’s an interactive map to help you find the location nearest you:
