Make Your Evergreen Eco-Friendly

Although the New Year has arrived, it may be hard to recognize if your house is brimming with leftover holiday cheer. Some remnants can be banished with ease, such as boxes of ornaments and Christmas lights that can reclaim their place among the abandoned treasures gathering dust in the basement, attic, or closet of your choice. The task of disrobing and discarding the family Christmas tree, however, is a holiday leftover that leaves many wishing they had simply left the tree at the lot. Fortunately, the answer is quite simple: reusing.

Evergreen trees are among the small number of plants that are able to store shikimic acid, a substance that can be used to create medication for the treatment and prevention of influenza. This substance, is available in unusually large quantities within the evergreen, and is extracted from the tree's unique pine needles. Apart from its natural medicinal properties, the recycled evergreen tree is well suited for use in a wide array of environmental projects. In the past, these trees have been used in projects such as the creation of nesting structures for birds that have been forced out of their habitat due to human activity, and the restoration of sand dunes that have been damaged in various coastal areas. Local communities can reap small scale benefits of evergreen recycling through practices such as burning trees to provide heat and electricity for homes, as well as the creation of mulch for use in community or personal parks and gardens. For more information regarding your local evergreen recycling program, visit the Earth 911 Recycling 101 Website.. Simply type “Christmas Trees” in the “Finding Recycling Centers For” section then, enter your location. Clearly, the Christmas tree has the ability to bear gifts that last long after the season is over.