Adios, evergreen
A Christmas tree is hauled to the woodpile to join other discarded trees Wednesday at the Kootenai County Solid Waste Transfer Station on Ramsey Road in Coeur d'Alene. While Post Falls will have a tree pickup Jan. 28, residents of other North Idaho towns will be responsible for disposing of their old trees themselves.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
It's time to say goodbye to that ornamental evergreen 'round which loved ones have gathered throughout the holiday season.
Many Kootenai County residents will need to haul out their once-live seasonal spruces on their own, while Post Falls residents will enjoy a Christmas tree pickup Jan. 28, complimentary of Coeur d'Alene Garbage/Post Falls Sanitation. Trees must have all decorations removed and be cut into 4-foot bundles or less to be placed curbside before 6 a.m., the city of Post Falls announced Wednesday. This special pick-up service is for trees only. Garbage will not be collected during this time and call-backs for additional services cannot be accommodated.
Other municipalities, including Coeur d'Alene and Hayden, are not providing Christmas tree pickup services.
"The tough part is not many places offer it. Post Falls is,” said Angela Burgeson, business and finance manager for the Kootenai County Solid Waste Department. "A lot of it is just on the property owner to bring them here."
The transfer station at 3330 N. Ramsey Road, Coeur d'Alene, is one collection site for folks to dispose of fresh Christmas trees.
"It goes right into the woodpile that we always have," Burgeson said. "It gets ground up and recycled."
Kootenai County Solid Waste at 15580 W. Prairie Ave., Post Falls is also accepting Christmas trees, as well as the Rural Residential Collection Sites at 7222 E. Howard Road, Athol, and 20995 N. Crooked Rock Lane, Rathdrum, off Chilco Road.
Burgeson said trees should be securely loaded before being transported.
"They don’t want to have lights or ornaments on it so it gets ground up with that wood. It’s a little tricky if they leave the lights on it," Burgeson said. "The other thing is, if people know of a person who may have a tough time bringing their trees to the transfer station, neighbors need to rely on each other a little bit. Ask for that help."
Aside from overstaying their welcome past the holidays, live trees left up after Christmas are fire hazards. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 33% of U.S. home fires involving Christmas trees occur in January. With this in mind, the National Fire Protection Association encourages everyone to keep the festive memories and remove the hazards by disposing of Christmas trees promptly after the holiday season.
“As much as we all enjoy the look and feel of Christmas trees in our homes, they’re large combustible items that have the potential to result in serious fires,” National Fire Protection Association Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy Lorraine Carli stated in a Wednesday news release. “The longer Christmas trees remain in homes, the longer they present a risk."
Fresh Christmas trees continue to dry and become more flammable over time. They are involved in more reported Christmas tree fires than artificial trees.
According to the latest Christmas Tree Fires report from NFPA, 160 home structure fires began with Christmas trees, resulting in two civilian deaths, 11 civilian injuries and $12 million in direct property damage, on average, each year between 2016 and 2020. Fires that begin with Christmas trees represent a small, but notable part of the U.S. fire problem, considering that they are generally in use for a short time each year, the news release states.
To safely dispose of a Christmas tree, the NFPA recommends using a local recycling program, if possible. Trees should not be put in the garage or left outside.
To safely remove lighting and decorations:
• Use the gripping area on the plug when unplugging electrical decorations. Never pull the cord to unplug any device from an electrical outlet, as this can harm the wire and insulation of the cord, increasing the risk for shock or electrical fire.
• Inspect each light string for damage and throw out sets that have loose connections, broken sockets or cracked or bare wires.
• Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags or wrap them around a piece of cardboard.
• Store electrical decorations in dry places away from children and pets, where they will not be damaged by water or dampness.