Skip to content

Grad class will pick up trees

Christmas season is over, now what to do with the tree?

Christmas season is over, now what to do with the tree?

There is an eco-friendly way to dispose of an evergreen that will also add glitz to the 2013 Grad Class celebrations.

The last few years, picking up Christmas trees has been done by the J.L. Crowe graduating class. The city pays the group $750 for the somewhat prickly work.

This year, students will begin tree pick up on Jan. 14, and end the service on Jan. 18.

Trees should be placed on the edge of the driveway, away from snow and ice, on the morning of normal garbage collection.

For those wishing to “de-tree” before that date, there are eight designated drop off points in Greater Trail where trees can be left for pick up.

The trees will be transported to the McKelvey Creek landfill by a handful of helpful fathers with large pick up trucks, free of charge.

Typically, all decorations and any type of plastic covers, need to be removed from the trees as it impacts recycling of the trees.

However, the grad students will be responsible for the tedious work of de-tinseling and stripping decorations from any trees left curbside or at the designated drop off site.

The process of recycling the trees has been the responsibility of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) for the last two years.

A heavy-duty wood chipper is shipped to the Trail landfill from Grand Forks, twice a year to mulch organic and contaminated waste.

“We have a zero waste policy,” said Tim Dueck, program coordinator for the RDKB.

“Anything organic, such as the Christmas trees can be composted and used,” he said.

“The last time we re-used the tree mulch as fill for city flower beds and gardens.”

If a tree is missed or forgotten during the week of pick up, it can be disposed at the landfill at no cost.

The RDKB will sponsor a recycle education program at the end of April for Earth Day.



Sheri Regnier

About the Author: Sheri Regnier

Read more