I thought this might be a more appropriate topic now that Christmas is over. I couldn't find anything on the city's website of course, but know they usually offer a tree mulching service free to citizens this time of year. Anyone care to share tips for those who might have bought live trees and wanting to do the right thing by mulching/recycling them?

Unfortunately, the City's tree mulching program is no longer in service. It was abandoned many years ago due to lack of demand.

I always wondered if there was a law requiring retail sites to take the recycles thats not taken by the established community ones, if our packaging and containers would magically become either less packaging, or more acceptable forms.
Not all plastic is readily recycled.

That's sad to hear FritterGirl. Another lack of vision on the sustainable front from our city. Lack of demand, or poor advertising? From what I can tell and researched online, the media barely picked it up.

That's sad to hear FritterGirl. Another lack of vision on the sustainable front from our city. Lack of demand, or poor advertising? From what I can tell and researched online, the media barely picked it up.

Metro,

I don't believe it is lack of vision here, so much as it was really a matter of demand vs. budget (I was not here when the program was dropped, but this is the explanation I get when the question comes up).

While I agree certainly that sustainable programs are very important to EVERY community, they must be tempered with fiduciary responsibility, especially when dealing with taxpayer money. You can't just run a sustainable program just because it is sustainable, especially if there are other priority programs that benefit MORE people and for which there is much higher demand.

Keep in mind that sustainability issues are really just now coming into the forefront of peoples' way of thinking (thankfully), via more mainstream programs and media. These are greatly important issues to Gen-Yers and Millennials, but for the Boomers and other generations, they are not (at least not yet).

There may be more room for such a program in future years, as sustainability comes more and more to the forefront, and I will certainly do what I can to encourage it again, but the bottom line in adding a program is whether it makes budgetary sense.

FritterGirl, thanks for the difference of opinion. Please don't think my comment was a direct criticizm of your work, for I know where you work. Anyhow, I know it was awefully hard for me to find the information for my parents every year when it came this time of year to recycle/mulch Christmas trees as well as try to post the info for others on message boards like this one. I'd call the City and get the run-around like no one knew what program I was talking about or that it existed. I agree the Action Center has come ALONG ways in the last few years, and rivals larger cities. Also I have never seen any publicity for the program, although I did find an article in a 2006 edition of the Oklahoman encouraging people to recycle their trees, but even that article in the Oklahoman made no mention of the City's program. From my simple observation and some research, it seemed to me the City could have done a better job promoting the program and getting the word out to the masses. I.E. - lack of information getting it out to enough people, might have caused the "lack of interest." Just a thought, to better clarify my original post, I'm not stating it as fact, but mere observation and opinion.

I think Edmond still does this don't they?

YEP, I EASILY found this on Edmond's website, Norman has also always done a fine job promoting it, never seen OKC promoting it when they used to.


Holiday Collection Schedule | City of Edmond, Oklahoma (http://edmondok.com/utility/solidwaste/holiday)

Tree Cycling!
Christmas trees can be recycled again this year by dropping them off at either Hafer Park or Mitch Park through January 13th. Trees are chipped and free cedar mulch is available for residents to pick up at Mitch Park beginning February 13th.

Drop off locations will be:
Hafer Park - the upper level parking lot adjacent to Bryant
Mitch Park – in the north parking lot adjacent to Marilyn Williams Drive (east of the pavilion and playground.)
The trees will be chipped, so please remove all tree stands, nails and ornaments.

Commercial accounts, Christmas tree lots and other businesses will need to dispose of their trees by dropping them off at one of the two drop-off locations.

If You Can’t Drop Off The Tree:
Residential customers can schedule a special free collection during the week of January 5th. Call the tree-cycling hotline (405) 359-4701, between December 15th and January 4th to be placed on the schedule. Collection will be provided during the week starting Monday, January 5th and ending Friday, January 9th.
Those who have called the hotline must place their tree at the curb before 7 a.m. Monday, January 5th to be included in this collection.
Your tree may not necessarily be picked up on your normal trash collection day so it must be at the curb at 7 a.m. throughout the collection week.

If You Miss the Special Collection:
Cut your tree into smaller pieces and place it in your cart for regular collection.
Schedule a monthly bulk collection for January by calling the hotline at (405) 359-4701 after January 5th. The bulk collection for trees is only $3 each.
Take your tree to the Transfer Station located at I-35 & Covell Road for disposal. The charge for disposal of a Christmas tree is $3.

I retired from the City of OKC in 2006, and was involved with the tree recycling program. The program was indeed drooped due to lack of demand, even though it was highly advertised (always had coverage from Oklahoman, Gazzette and all TV Stations.
The main participants were the tree lots and hardware super stores that used the program to discard trees to keep from having to pay dumping fees.

I'm wondering since there is "lack of demand", if the City could just reduce the number of dumping stations, perhaps at least have 1 open if nothing else for the people that do want to recycle them, if nothing else, it keeps the trees from being improperly disposed or dumped on private property, or ending up taking up lots of space in our mountains that are landfills.