NEW YORK (PIX11) --- The gifts have been opened. The holidays are over. Now what to do with the Christmas trees in New York City?
Brooklyn and Queens residents can put their trees and food scraps out on their regular compost collection days, according to the Department of Sanitation.
The other three boroughs do not have the curbside compost option yet. The city will be collecting trees in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island from Jan. 5 to Jan. 13, officials said. They will be collected separately from regular trash and recycling days.
The department said the trees cannot have lights, ornaments, or tinsel on them. They should not be wrapped in plastic bags, officials said.
After the trees are picked up, they will be chipped, mixed with leaves, and recycled into compost for the city’s parks and greenspaces, according to the DSNY.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.