• Have you ever been to someone's house in June or July only to notice that their Christmas Tree is still up? Their once-proud and glowing tree is sitting wilting in the corner, its needles brown and its branches sagging, looking like the hungover ghost of Christmas past. Pretty sad, huh? Well don't let this happen to your tree. After the Christmas season is over, make sure that you dispose of your tree in a responsible way so that it doesn't end up a tragic casualty of indifference and holiday malaise. Read on for tips and suggestions on how to properly dispose of your Christmas tree.

• Before you get rid of your tree, you'll have to properly prepare it for disposal. This is a pretty simple process and shouldn't take you long at all.

• 1. Start by taking all of your Christmas Ornaments off.
  2. Remove any Christmas Lights you may have strung up.
  3. Take your tree outside and remove it from the tree stand. Pour out any water that is in the stand.
  4. Place your tree somewhere out of the way until you are ready to dispose of it.

• The easiest way to dispose of your old Christmas tree is to have someone pick it up and dispose of it for you. Many cities and communities offer free tree collection services and will properly dispose of your tree along with many others. Since each community is different, make sure you find out exactly how your community deals with their Christmas trees.

• 1. Contact your local city or county government and inquire about whether or not tree collection services are offered in your area.
  2. If they are, write down the exact dates and times of when the trees will be collected.
  3. Mark the date and time on your calender so you don't forget.
  4. On the date of pickup, bring your tree to the designated collection area (usually the same place that trash is picked up from).
  5. If you miss the tree collection date, many cities will have tree collection centers that you can bring your tree to directly.

• If you are part of the ever-growing eco-friendly crowd (or just wanna do your part to have a green Christmas), recycling your old tree can be an attractive option. The great thing about real Christmas trees is that they are biodegradable, renewable, and recyclable resources that can be used for many different purposes (after they've helped you celebrate the holidays). Here's how to go about recycling your Christmas tree:

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• 1. Check with your local government to see if they offer any Christmas tree recycling programs.
  2. Go to the National Christmas Tree Association's website and type in your ZIP code to find recycling programs in your area.
  3. Choose a recycling program in your area and find out specific information about their policies, location, hours of operation, and any restrictions they may have regarding who can use their services (some are available only to residents within a certain district or ZIP code).
  4. Make sure to find out if there will be any charges associated with recycling your tree (many facilities will offer free recycling during the month of January - so don't wait too long!).
  5. Either take your tree directly to the recycling center or make accommodations to have it picked up for you.

• While most of us don't have the capabilities or know-how to reuse every part of our old Christmas tree, those that do may be able to find creative ways to make sure that their old trees don't go to waste. Here are a few suggestions for reusing your Christmas tree:

• 1. Mulch: If you have access to a wood chipper (and who doesn't?), you can ground up your Christmas tree into mulch that can be used for gardening, landscaping or compost.
  2. Firewood: If you have a wood burning stove or a fireplace, your Christmas tree can be chopped up and used as firewood. Make sure to let your tree dry out for a few weeks before chopping.
  3. Fish Habitat: Surprisingly, a Christmas tree can provide a unique habitat for fish. If you have a pond or small body of water on your property, simply toss it in.