NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After the holiday, thousands of Christmas trees will end up at drop-off locations throughout Davidson County. But what happens next?
If you choose to donate your tree, like thousands of others in the Metro area, it'll go from a drop-off site to a local compost location called Living Earth.
The company has partnered with the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) for seven years to turn your Christmas trees into mulch, which is then used for various city projects.
"You're giving back to the community, you're donating back to the community, especially when it ends up in schools, beautification projects in the parks and stuff like that around town," Living Earth area manager Mark Gill said.
"Ornaments come off, lights come down, I take the tree [here] and have done this here for years," said Green Hills resident Scott Boyd, who dropped off his tree at a recycling site Thursday afternoon.
He says recycling your tree is a simple process, but it makes a difference.
"That's one of the things that make this such a worthwhile operation," he said. "Not having [it] hauled off who-knows-where but bringing it here and you know what's going to happen."
If you still haven't dropped off your tree, you can do so until Feb. 14 at any of the following 13 locations:
• Cane Ridge Park
• Una Recreation Center
• Whitfield Park
• Cedar Hill Park
• Two Rivers Park
• Joelton Community Center
• Sevier Park
• Richland Park
• Elmington Park
• Edwin Warner Park
• Lakewood City Hall
• Frederick Douglass Park
• Both Living Earth locations at 1511 Elm Hill Pike and 6401 Centennial Boulevard
Remember, no artificial trees are accepted, and all trees must be without ornaments, lights, and stands before drop-off.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
