Dundee Twp. reusing Christmas trees

If Dundee Township highway department employees stood up all the Christmas trees that have come through their recycling program during the last 12 years, they'd have enough to form a couple of forests.

They've already chipped enough to lay miles of walking paths in the open space sites. And they have accepted enough to put a sizable dent in the state's landfills.

Their work continues and they have no one to thank but residents who drive and drag their used fresh-cut Christmas trees to the Route 72 highway garage.

Some have already been dropped off, said Larry Braasch, highway commissioner.

"We start getting some the day after Christmas. Those are the people who go away for New Year's and want them out of the house," he said. "It's comical to see how some of the people get them here. I wish I had a movie camera. But at least they get here."

The township will accept the trees if they are clean of ornaments, tinsel and lights. If they are not, employees could be injured when they put the trees through the chipper.

On a good year, those trees could number 800, the highway commissioner said.

"That was our peak. We received that many in the early years of the program. Now, we'll receive from 300 to 400 trees," he said.

"In recent years, people haven't been dropping off as many fresh-cut Christmas trees. I can only guess they haven't been buying them. Maybe they were decorating with artificial trees."

Whatever the reason, the program continued, the trees were chipped and the paths were laid. Highway employees mix the evergreen chips with chips of other trees.

Evergreen trees chips are thin. The paths need to be a couple of inches thick so they standout when they settle after being placed on the group.

"With 400 trees, we can lay five or six miles of paths," he said. "That helps the township save money on buying chips. We can also lay the paths quicker."

If it wasn't for the township Christmas tree recycling program, residents would have no other option than putting the trees by the curb for garbage companies to pick up. More would also be dropped along rural roads.

"Every year we pick a few up along the roads," Braasch said.

The recycling program will continue until Jan. 15. The trees should be dropped off behind the garage close to the back of the building.