Bye, bye, balsam: Say goodbye to your Christmas trees in style at Mulchfest 2024

A Mulch-y Christmas to all!

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation wasted no time helping Brooklynites give their live Christmas trees a responsible “fir-well” as its annual holiday, Mulchfest, kicked off on Dec. 26.

New Yorkers buy thousands of live Christmas trees each year, and those beloved balsams and sentimental cedars are more than just fragrant traditions — they’re better for the environment than artificial trees, according to the Nature Conservancy. But how you get rid of them is important, and that’s where the parks department comes in.

From now until Jan. 12, locals can drop their trees off at one of 12 Mulchfest drop-off stations in parks across the borough. Those trees will be turned into fresh, nutrient-rich mulch, which is used in tree beds and community gardens across the city.

According to the parks department, mulch helps to deter weeds, retain soil moisture, adds nutrients to the soil, and keeps plants’ roots warm — and mulching keeps trees out of landfill, where they might not break down properly.

“Mulchfest is as much about nourishing our city’s living infrastructure as it is about building community, by bringing neighbors together to practice sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said parks commissioner Sue Donoghue, in a statement. “Last year, New Yorkers truly outdid themselves, recycling over 46,000 trees, and we’re hoping to better that total for 2025.”

On Jan. 11 and 12, the department will host “Chipping Weekend.” On those days, Brooklynites can bring their trees to select sites to watch them get mulched in front of their eyes – and bring home a back of fresh chippings to use on their own trees and gardens.

man throwing tree in chipper — Christmas trees can be turned into fresh mulch on Chipping Weekend, Jan. 11-12. Photo courtesy of Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

At some locations, Mulchfest is almost a holiday of its own — in Park Slope, locals and volunteers gather to help DSNY and parks employees, drink hot chocolate, and enjoy the day — and the Park Slope Civic Council even rents a truck to pick up trees on its own.

A full list of drop-off sites and Chipping Weekend locations in Brooklyn is below. Before dropping trees off, make sure to remove all ornaments, lights, and netting — those can’t go through the chipper!

The city will also collect trees and wreaths with its regular curbside composting service. The same rules apply – remove all lights, ornaments, and wires from all greenery, or it can’t be composted. Live trees picked up curbside will also be mulched.

Artificial trees that have reached the end of their lives can be disassembled, and the metal pole and base recycled. Otherwise, the rest of the tree can be set out with the regular trash.

Brooklyn Mulchfest Drop-Off sites, available any time from Dec. 26-Jan. 12:

Amazing Garden, 261 Columbia St. in Red Hook
Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5, at Bridge Park Drive and Furman Street in Dumbo
Brooklyn Bridge Park Dock Street Entrance at Dock and Water streets in Dumbo
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Jay Street Entrance at Jay and John streets in Dumbo
Brooklyn Heights Promenade at Columbia Heights and Cranberry Street in Brooklyn Heights
Coffey Park at Dwight and Verona streets in Red Hook
Green Space at President Street at 222 5th Ave. in Park Slope
Herbert Von King Park at Marcy and Lafayette avenues in Bed-Stuy
Myrtle Village Green at 636 Myrtle Ave. in Bed-Stuy
Prospect Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue
Sunset Park at 44th Street and 6th Avenue in Sunset Park
Washington Park at 3rd Street and 5th Avenue in Park Slope
Brooklynites celebrated Chipping Weekend in Park Slope in 2023. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann