NEW YORK (WPIX)—
New Yorkers shut the door on the holiday season with MulchFest -- a citywide event where people can recycle their Christmas trees by converting them into woodchips.The Parks and Recreation Department kicked off the weekend event Saturday, with 81 park sites accepting trees throughout the five boroughs.
"It's time to chip in and tree-cycle your holiday tree for a mulch greener City," said Mayor Bloomberg. "To achieve our ambitious plan to plant one million new trees across the five boroughs over the next decade, we're going to need more mulch than ever."
Woodchips and mulch are primarily used to insulate the soil around trees, and to hold in moisture and provide nutrients. The program allows people to take home the remains of their Christmas trees to beautify their own tree pits, private gardens and planting beds.
In 2009, more than 160,000 Christmas trees were collected and recycled by the City with more than 17,000 coming through MulchFest.
To find a list of MulchFest locations, visit the City's web site at nyc.gov
The Department of Sanitation will also be making curbside tree collections and transporting them to recycling sites until Friday, January 15.
