How to recycle your Christmas tree.

Some of you probably aren’t quite ready to let the holidays go yet – and that’s totally okay. But if you are ready to have a clear living room, here's how to get rid of your Christmas tree in a community + environmentally-positive way.

Keep the Midlands Beautiful runs an annual program called Grinding of the Greens, where they collect your old Christmas trees between Dec. 26-Jan. 11 and grind ‘em down into mulch for public greenspaces and for Soda Citizens’ yards + gardens. 🌷

Free recycled mulch will be available to the public Saturday, Jan. 13 from 8:30 a.m. ‘til the mulch runs out at the S.C. State Farmers Market (📍 3483 Charleston Hwy., West Cola) + Seven Oaks Park (📍 200 Leisure Ln.).

Each year, the program saves thousands of trees from ending up in local landfills. ♻️

How cool is that? All you have to do is:

1⃣️ Prepare your tree:

Remove all lights, tinsel + ornaments from the tree
Remove tree from stand
Remove tree from bag + remove any string, wire or ties before dropoff
Drop off tree between Dec. 26-Jan. 11
Drop off trees only – no wreaths or garlands

2⃣️ Drop off your tree to any one of these locations in Richland + Lexington Counties:

Cayce

Lexington County Sandhills Collection Center | 3241 Charleston Hwy. | M-W-F, Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 3-7 p.m.

Columbia

City of Columbia Compost Facility | 121 Humane Ln. | M-F 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Forest Lake Park | 6820 Wedgefield Rd. | M-F 2-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Polo Road Park | 730 Polo Rd. | M-F 2-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Richland County Tennis Center | 7500 Parklane Rd. | M-TH 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Seven Oaks Park | 200 Leisure Ln.
St. Andrews Park | 920 Beatty Rd. | M-W-F 2-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Clemson Institute for Economic & Community Development | 900 Clemson Rd.
Lower Richland Drop-off Center | 10531 Garners Ferry Rd.
Richland Co. C&D Landfill | 1070 Caughman Rd. | M-F 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Sat. 12:30-5:30 p.m.
6109 Bush River Rd. | M-W-F, Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun 3-7 p.m.

Chapin

103 Distant Ln. | M-W-F, Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 3-7 p.m.
Crooked Creek Park | 1098 Old Lexington Hwy. | daily 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Fort Jackson

Fort Jackson Recycling Center | Building #6568, Lee Rd. (via Gate 2 on Forest Dr.) | M-F, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Gilbert

Hollow Creek Tree Farm | 228 Windmill Rd.

Hopkins

Caughman Rd. Park | 2800 Trotter Rd. | M-F 2-9 p.m., Sat. 9-8 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.

Irmo

Friarsgate Park | 1712 Chadford Rd. | M-F 2-9 p.m., Sat. 9-8 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.

Lexington

301 Ball Park Rd. | M-W-F, Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 3-7 p.m.
325 Landfill Ln. | M-W-F, Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 3-7 p.m.
Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church | 5503 Sunset Blvd.

Swansea

Southeast Collection Center | 538 Martin Neese Rd. | M-W-F + Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 3-7 p.m.

West Columbia

S.C. State Farmers Market | 3483 Charleston Hwy.

It feels like we were just telling you where to cut down your own tree, Griswold-style – and now it’s New Year’s Eve-Eve-Eve-Eve. Time flies when you’re having eggnog – er, fun.

–Chloe