All trees brought to the event must be bare and ornament-less.
This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Fishtown Neighbors Association, New Kensington Community Development Corporation and the Palmer Doggie Depot are joining forces to put on the 8th annual Christmas Tree Recycling event, which will be held in the parking lot of the Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts at the corner of Palmer and Front streets.
The event is free, but donations are requested.
Residents will have the opportunity to run their Christmas tree through a woodchipper provided by Tree Authority, a local business run by a Temple University engineering grad.
The trees are effectively turned into mulch, which people can take home to use to plant their gardens.
All trees brought to the event must be bare and ornament-less.
The event will also have electronics recycling on site, where residents can recycle old electronics, such as video game consoles, fans or computer-related appliances. The electronics recycling will be provided by Covanta, which is based in nearby Camden, N.J.
Organizers of the event request a donation of approximately $5 per tree recycled and a donation of $5 for each alkaline battery or old computer monitor provided, since those electronics can be more expensive to recycle.
The idea came about eight years ago as a part of NKCDC’s Sustainable 19125 & 19134 initiative, which aimed to “ to create the greenest zip codes in Philadelphia by promoting sustainability as a tool to improve quality of life, beautify, and support one’s community.”
NKCDC community engagement director Andrew Goodman added the goal of the program is to “bring neighbors together around sustainable resources.”
“A big part of the work that we do is around building leadership and knowledge in the community,” said Goodman. “Residents should be the primary stewards and advocates for the community.”
Goodman added the event was looking for volunteers. For more information about volunteering, contact Palmer Doggie Depot via Facebook.
“It’s a fun program that always needs volunteers,” said FNA president Ian Wilson, who said free hot chocolate and coffee will be provided for the volunteers.
For more information about the event, check out the “Christmas Tree Recycling” Facebook event page.
