The city\u2019s annual Christmas tree recycling program saw a major drop in evergreens compared to last year \u2014 and officials are blaming bad weather and treeflation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMulchfest\u201d saw at least 46,054 sweet-smelling trees <\/a>put through the chipper, ground up and returned to eco-conscious New Yorkers to take home for their own gardens and plant sanctuaries.<\/p>\n But even though that\u2019s a drop from the record 52,000 in 2025 it\u2019s mulch ado about nothing, Parks Deputy Commissioner Mark Focht\u00a0told The Post.<\/p>\n More than 46,000 were recycled at this year\u2019s Mulchfest. Billy Tompkins\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very pleased with the participation we got this year from the public,\u201d Parks Deputy Commissioner Mark Focht\u00a0told The Post.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really less about the numbers and it\u2019s more about the experience for the public. It\u2019s also about making sure that these trees don\u2019t end up in a landfill. That they\u2019re put back into productive use by creating mulch that we can use in parks or the public can use at their own street tree in front of their house or in their gardens or in their sock drawer to provide beautiful smelling potpourri.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s 2025 haul set a record for the most recycled trees in a normal year.<\/p>\n The highest-ever stands at 58,000 in 2023 \u2014 a total the Parks Department said was only reached after the city struck a deal with vendors who failed to sell out in\u00a0a year of high prices<\/a>.<\/p>\n New Yorkers can take their Christmas tree back home in mulch form. Paul Martinka<\/p>\n New Yorkers were faced with a similar situation this year, but costs didn\u2019t quite reach the staggering $300 prices that they saw two seasons prior. <\/p>\n