Christmas “Tree-cycling”

Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling reminds everyone to recycle their real Christmas trees. After the festivities are finished, give one more gift to Mother Nature by taking your tree to one of the many drop-off sites located throughout Westmoreland County. 

Tree-cycling is truly giving a gift back to the community.  Proper disposal of a real tree is beneficial to the environment.  In most cases, real trees thrown away with the garbage end up taking up space in a landfill.  However, recycling your Christmas tree returns it to nature.  The trees will be chipped into mulch and used to beautify community parks, eventually decomposing into valuable humus to nourish and renew the soil.

There is no cost to recycle your Christmas tree;  however, two organizations that host tree recycling sites; Boy Scout Troup 239 at Schramm’s Farm & Orchards in Penn Township and Murrysville-Export Rotary, collect donations to fund their own projects.  

All locations require that trees are completely bare of ALL decorations and lights when dropped off.  This includes any tree bags or wrappings used to transport the tree to the drop-off site.

Sponsors of this year’s Christmas tree recycling program include: Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, James A. Rutter Company in Murrysville, Penn Township, and the Borough of Youngwood.

Ellen Keefe, Executive Director of Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, commented:  “Some people today talk about being green like it’s a new discovery.  Westmorland County residents have been green for years by faithfully recycling their Christmas trees each year.  But thousands more are put out for the trash.  There’s nothing sadder than to see a barren Christmas tree sitting at the curb, to be landfilled and serve no more useful purpose than to take up space forever in a landfill.  Pledge to take your tree to one of the convenient drop-off sites near you.”

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Note:  Please see attached document for a complete list of Tree-cycling locations in Westmoreland County

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ABOUT WESTMORELAND CLEANWAYS AND RECYCLING

Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to protect, restore, and maintain the environmental qualities of Westmoreland County for all who live, work, and visit herein.  Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling addresses the proper disposal of solid waste through recycling, special collections, the cleanup of illegal dumpsites and littered areas, and public education.