The City of Corpus Christi offers a 24/7 Christmas tree recycling drop-off, turning trees into free community mulch, reducing landfill waste, and increasing safety.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As the holidays wrap up and Christmas decorations go back into storage, there’s one more thing some residents may be wondering about: what to do with their real Christmas tree.
The city of Corpus Christi is offering a free drop-off location at the J.C. Elliott Transfer Station, where trees can be recycled and turned into mulch that’s available to the community at no cost.
“We like the smell, and it’s just a family tradition,” Dennis Unland said. “A lot of people like artificial trees, but we like the real thing.”
Unland and his family enjoy a natural tree every holiday season. He said knowing the trees are recycled is an added bonus.
“I think it’s a pretty good idea,” Unland said. “Rather than putting it in the landfill, they grind it up and use it for mulch and stuff like that.”
Dr. Michael Womack is the executive director and horticulturist at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. He said the facility uses the mulch throughout its gardens.
“It gives us a beneficial product that we can use in our landscapes,” Womack said. “You should be using mulch all the time because it helps reduce water use, keeps the ground warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and reduces weeds when it’s put down thick enough.”
For local resident Gilbert Vela, recycling Christmas trees is also a safety issue.
“I brought our Christmas tree to get recycled because on the side of town we live in, they burn them on New Year’s,” Vela said. “That’s something we try to stop.”
The container is accessible 24/7 from Dec. 26 through Jan. 31.
“It helps a lot,” Vela said. “Instead of going all the way into the tree section, you can just come here, drop it off and get in and out real quick.”