SUMMIT HILL, Pa. -- Before you drag your Christmas tree to the curb, find out about the benefits of "tree-cycling" in this week's Power To Save.
At the Carbon County Environmental Education Center, they do environmental programs both inside and out. We met with Franklin Klock, a naturalist at the environmental center in Carbon County. Klock is the resident expert and greeter for the Carbon County Christmas tree tree-cycling program.
"Pennsylvania is one of the largest tree-growing states in the country. Carbon County is one of the largest tree-growing counties in Pennsylvania, so that means that Carbon County is one of the largest tree-growing counties in the country," said Klock.
Since 2007, the environmental center hires someone to chip Christmas trees.
"We found a guy that advertised having the largest chipper/shredder in the county," said Klock "After the trees have dried out for a little while, they get run through the chipper and whatever is left over here is available for the general public to pick up."
The end product is beneficial to gardeners and the environment.
"This is fantastic because some people don't have acidic soil, and there's certain things they want to grow by adding mulch like this that's going to add acid back in," Klock explained. "It's kind of a win-win for us all because we keep the organic material in the environment, and we don't fill up the landfill space."
The tree-cycling program is free, so you can bring your tree by anytime.
"We'll be getting Christmas trees till Easter. I've seen them come through absolutely bare and needleless
Just follow the signs at the Carbon County Environmental Education and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and drop your tree off behind the building.