It was beautiful for a few weeks, sitting in your favorite room for the Christmas holiday. Now it's a fire hazard. Here's the best way to get rid of your tree.

When is the best time to dispose of a real Christmas Tree

My answer to that question above is

"whenever my wife decides she's looked at it long enough."

That time has arrived. Everybody into the basement and grab a bin...

"Christmas is coming down!"

Scoop with a brush, dry twigs, fallen spruce needles and broken ball
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Ornaments are tucked away, lights are pulled off, all the wall hangings are down, gnomes are sent home, now the only thing left is that (formerly) beautiful tree. What was once the focal point for joy is now one of the biggest fire hazards in your home.

Your real tree is ready for recycling.

Don't put your real Christmas treed at the curb

Christmas tree waiting for the recycling truck
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And definitely don't do this...

Recycled Christmas Tree
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Your real tree is perfectly recyclable, don't let it clutter up landfills.

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Hey Rockford! This is The Best Way Toss Out Your Christmas Tree
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This is The Best Way Toss Out Your Christmas Tree

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) lives up to their name again during the post-Christmas season by providing a dozen spots to drop off your tree for recycling. The trees will then be chipped and turned into mulch that you can come back and grab for free

Here the locations for tree drop-off and mulch pick-up:

  • Levings Lake, 1420 S. Pierpont Ave., Rockford
  • Andrews Park, 800 N. Central Ave., Rockford
  • Gambino Park, 4421 Pepper Drive, Rockford
  • Alpine Park, 950 S. Alpine Road, Rockford
  • Sandy Hollow Golf Course, 2670 Sandy Hollow Road, Rockford
  • Martin Park, 5600 Park Ridge Road, Loves Park
  • Baumann Park on South Walnut Street in Cherry Valley (daylight hours only)
  • Rockton boat ramp parking area, 830 E. Main St., Rockton
  • Valley View Farms, 6440 Belvidere Road, Roscoe
  • Davis Village Hall, 104 East McKimmey St., Davis
  • Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve, 4550 N. Pecatonica Road
  • Schoonmaker Park, 10500 Ventura Blvd., Machesney Park

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