How To Dispose Of Your Christmas Tree In Princeton

PRINCETON, NJ — As the holiday season comes to a close and 2023 approaches, some Princeton residents may be looking to remove their live Christmas trees. There are several ways to remove your trees in Mercer County:

Princeton will begin its town wide Christmas tree and brush collection on Tuesday morning, municipal officials said in a statement. Recycled trees must have all decorations removed. Trees also must not be placed in bags.

The 2023 schedule for leaf, brush, and log collection has not been finalized, the municipality added.

“Once it is finalized it will be posted,” reads a notice via the town website here.

For those seeking a DIY alternative for Christmas trees, the town suggests the following:

• Fish feeder for a fish pond
• Bird feeder (string popcorn or add orange slices to attract birds)
• Mulch (branches can be removed, chipped and used as mulch in a garden)

Some Home Depot locations farm rescues may also accept tree donations that are undecorated, untreated and green.

Fire officials recommend disposing of live trees after Christmas or when trees become dry. The National Fire Protection Association reports that dried-out trees present a fire hazard and can burn very quickly compared to watered trees. Live trees should also not be left in homes, garages or placed against a home.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends keeping live trees at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heat vents, as more than 1 in every 5 Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree.