With the holiday season now behind us, it’s time for some to turn to another annual, mid-winter ritual: trashing the Christmas tree.
But in many New Hampshire cities and towns, that’s not as simple as tossing it in the dump. Many communities have specific instructions for disposal.
In New Hampshire, residents aren’t allowed to dispose of leaves and yard waste with their normal trash. And that applies to Christmas trees, too. Dumping trees in a landfill isn’t great for the environment: They can take up precious space and contribute to methane gas generation as they decompose.
More environmental options for towns include putting trees through a wood chipper for mulch or adding them to a burn pile.
But there’s another option. Some farms in New Hampshire accept Christmas trees to feed to their goats. Denielle Strader, farm manager at Legacy Lane farm in Stratham, says the trees are a big treat.
“When we throw one into the pen with all the animals, they run to it and they start attacking it,” she said. “I've never tasted it myself, but I would assume it's like a tasty candy to them because they really go over and they pluck the tree bare.”
People can drop their trees off at the farm. Open hours are 10 am to 3 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Black Dog Farm in Barnstead and Anderson Farm in Chesterfield have also said they will accept Christmas trees.
Many towns and cities in New Hampshire have drop-off or pick-up programs for Christmas trees. Residents must remove all decorations – tree stands, ornaments, lights, and tinsel.
Residents should check with their municipality about collection dates and requirements. Here’s some information about some New Hampshire communities and their tree collection.
Concord
- Concord residents can put their trees out with their trash and recycling for curbside pickup for the first two weeks of January, or they can be taken to the transfer station throughout the month of January for free.
Nashua
- The city of Nashua will collect trees through curbside pickup until January 13th.
Manchester
- The city of Manchester will collect trees only during the week of January 16th.
Portsmouth
- Christmas trees will be collected with curbside trash and recyclable services in Portsmouth through January 15.
Hanover
- Hanover residents can drop off their Christmas tree at the town’s public works facility through January 16th or can drop trees off at the Lebanon solid waste facility.
Lebanon
- Lebanon residents can drop off their tree at the solid waste facility. Disposal is free if the tree is under 2 cubic yards and the diameter of the tree’s trunk and limbs are smaller than 4 inches.
