Recycle Your Christmas Tree and Pick Up Free Mulch

Beginning today, through Saturday, January 18th, you can recycle your live/natural Christmas trees at parks all over the city to keep them out of landfill.  Beginning January 6th, you can pick up free mulch from the recycled trees at several parks, including Margate.

Here's what the city recycling site says:

"Each holiday season the US spends over $1 billion dollars on fresh-cut trees. They brighten our homes, infuse the air with merriment, and after a few days or weeks, out they go.

Enter Chicago's Christmas Tree Recycling program. The benefits of recycling/mulching trees are twofold: nutrients from the trees are preserved and given back to the soil, while tons of valuable organic material is diverted from landfills.

Chicago's 2020 Tree Recycling Program runs from January 4th through the 18th at dozens of parks across the City.

Only live/natural trees without flocking are accepted (no garland or wreaths). Because the trees are mulched, all tinsel, ornaments, lights, and stands must be removed. Plastic bags used for transport should also be removed before putting trees in the stalls.

The mulch that's created from the Christmas Tree Recycling program is used in local parks to protect and nourish plants and soil. Mulch will also be made available to Chicago residents, free of charge, starting Jan. 7th, at six park locations.

Twenty-five parks citywide are hosting Tree Recycling events this year. Trees can be dropped off anytime during normal business hours.  Six locations will also provide free mulch on a first-come, first-served basis, starting January 6th: Lincoln Park, Margate Park, Mt. Greenwood Park, North Park Village, Warren Park, and the Forestry Site.

*Star = mulch available (beginning Jan. 6) 

• 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 Dr. at Fullerton Ave. (East of Cannon Dr.)
• 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.
• Walsh Park, 1722 N. Ashland
• Warren Park*, 6601 N. Western Ave.
• Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett Ave.
• West Chatham Park, 8223 S. Princeton"