Wondering what to do with your Christmas tree now that the day has come and gone?

We know it’s hard, but when January 1...2...or 15 starts rolling around, it’s time to say goodbye to your Christmas tree. But that doesn’t have to mean it’s heading straight for the dumpsters. Instead, we have some tips on how to put an old tree to good use. Whether you want to properly dispose of it, recycle it or reuse your real Christmas tree for yourself, we’ve got the scoop.

P.S. All you fake tree-ers out there, this isn’t for you.

Bonus: As you’re going through your holiday memories + gearing up for New Year’s, be sure to tag #NOOGAtoday in all your Instagram memories. We love celebrating with you.

From creating a natural bird feeder to recycling for mulch, here are a few ways to reuse your tree. ⬇️

Drop-off Recycling Center

If you don’t usually get recycling services at your home, you can be a go-getter and drop the tree off yourself at Hamilton County recycling centers. Remember that magical time of December where every other car on the street had a freshly cut pine tree tied to the top? Well, imagine a similar scene, but with a flair of "Night of the Living Dead” Christmas Trees. Once again, don’t forget to remove the tinsel, garland, tree stand + ornaments from the tree before dropping it off.

Curbside pick-up

City residents can place their live Christmas tree at their curbside and place a service request with 311. Service requests submitted through the CHATT311 app using either an Apple or Android device should use the “Brush Collection,” option. City residents may also make their live Christmas tree pickup request by emailing 311@chattanooga.gov or by calling 311 at (423) 643-6311.

Natural Bird Feeders

Give back to Mother Nature by making a natural bird feeder with your old Christmas tree. Simply place the tree in your backyard with some fresh orange garland and stringed popcorn and birds will quickly come and claim their new sanctuary. After a while, the branches will turn brittle and you can easily break them down for garden and mulching use.

Make Your Own Mulch

When you take a tree to a recycling center they’re going to turn it into mulch anyway. So, why not use it for your own yard and spring gardening? You can use the woodchips and needles to keep the trees in your yard moist during the winter season. Ideally, you could shred the tree (Home Depot stores accept trees for mulching) but usually by the time the holidays are over the needles will already be falling off. You can spread them in garden beds or over the lawn.

Watch it burn

Sometimes you just want to watch it burn. Each January, the owners of Treetop Hideaways encourage locals to bring their trees to them for the annual Christmas tree bonfire. The event offers an opportunity to “watch a conflagration of past Christmas celebrations and the remnants of the old year turn to ashes” surrounded by friends. They burned 119 trees last year. Christmas trees can be dropped off anytime before the Jan. 19 event. Admission is free. More information is here.

Whether you’re burning it, making a bird feeder, recycling for mulch or just letting the city deal with it, we hope your Christmas tree was everything you wanted it to be this year.

Don’t want the hassle? Consider buying a potted Christmas tree next year so you can plant the tree in your yard after the holidays.