Discarded Christmas trees put to use
By JODY MURPHY, jmurphy@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG -Local officials are finding ways to recycle discarded natural Christmas trees from city residents.
Trees in Parkersburg and Marietta are used to create wildlife habitats. While all of Marietta's trees are used for wildlife by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, only some of Parkersburg's trees are used and the rest are hauled to the landfill.
Jerry Edman, Parkersburg public works director, said residents have dropped off more than 300 Christmas trees at City Park and Southwood Park. A few more trees will trickle in this week, he said.
Edman said some of the trees are given to individuals for pond habitats or brush piles for rabbits. Most of the trees will be packed and hauled to the landfill.
He said trees will also be collected by sanitation workers, if they are left out with the trash.
"It is all biodegradable material," Edman said.
The trees are an added expense to the city's landfill bill. The city is charged more than $33 a ton to place trash in the landfill.
Cost is one of the major reasons Marietta's trash hauler will not collect discarded trees. According to Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen, collecting trees would add to landfill costs and consumer fees.
Marietta Streets Superintendent Todd Stockel said the city collects more than 250 trees at its designated collection points. All those discarded trees are collected by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to be used for wildlife habitats in ponds, lakes, rivers and forests.
"The Ohio DNR will comes down this week and haul them out,' Stockel said. "They put them in Salt Fork Lake."
Stockel said the city does not mulch the trees.
Edman said Parkersburg will mulch individual trees for residents who make the request, but otherwise, the trees are unsuitable for mulch. Edman said debris leftover from Christmas decorations can be mulched with the tree and cause mold and bacteria problems, making the mulch unsuitable for use by the city.
"We are dealing with the public," he said.
