2011 Christmas Tree

Thinking about taking down the tree?  Wondering how to dispose of your Christmas tree?  We’ve pulled together the Christmas tree disposal info for local towns.

The lyric “but it took so long to bake it…” keeps running through my head as I ponder dismantling the Christmas tree. But I’m determined to get it outside for the regular pickup rather than sticking it in the yard until spring as I so often do.  And at least this year we won’t be posing the trees in snow banks or waiting for the snowbank to melt and expose long since abandoned trees. Score one for global warming.

Remember: Trees must be bare – free of all decorations, tinsel and stand.  Do not put trees in plastic bags.  Wreaths cannot be mulched because of the wires and must be put in the trash.

Cambridge Christmas Tree Pickup and Disposal

Cambridge recycles Christmas trees and uses the mulch produced for city landscaping. 

Christmas trees in Cambridge will be picked up curbside on your regular trash day between January 3 and January 13, 2012. 

Cambridge residents may also drop off trees at the Recycling Center from December 31, 2011 to January 21, 2012 during open hours.  The Recycling Center, at 147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 7:30 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm.

Somerville Christmas Tree Recycling

The Somerville DPW will pick up Christmas trees left curbside in January for mulching.

Belmont Christmas Tree Pickup

Belmont will pickup Christmas trees left curbside on your regular trash day through January 12, 2012.

Medford Christmas Trees Pickup

You get one chance to get your tree picked up in Medford – Christmas trees will be picked up on your regular trash day the week of January 9 – 13, 2012. 

Watertown Christmas Tree Disposal

Christmas trees can be placed curbside for pickup during the month of January in Watertown.

Green Garden Tour in Belmont

This Sunday, Sustainable Belmont is sponsoring a “Green Garden Tour.”  The Belmont Green Garden Tour will showcase organic and sustainable gardens around Belmont.  There are eight private gardens and two public gardens on the tour.  Gardeners on the tour are growing herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers and shrubs.  Their gardens attract a variety of birds and butterflies.  Features of yards on the tour include:

• Rain barrels
• Compost bins
• Solar panels
• Chicken coops
• Beehives

You are encouraged to ask the host gardeners questions while visiting their gardens.  You’re bound to pick up some great ideas.

The Sustainable Belmont Green Garden Tour is scheduled for Sunday, September 18, 2011 from 11 am to 3 pm.   The tour will be held rain or shine.  It is free and open to the public.

Here is a pamphlet to download with addresses, info and a map of the Green Garden Tour in Belmont.

Green House Tour in Cambridge

I love Cambridge.  We just wrapped up the week-long Cambridge Science Festival just in time for the start of Cambridge Climate Change Week this Friday.

There’s a variety of events planned for the week but as a house tour aficionado the one that caught my eye is the Green Homes Bike Tour planned for Sunday, May 15, 2011.

Participants will meet at Danahy Park on Sherman Street at 10 am and then bike to four houses in North Cambridge and Somerville that have utilized energy efficiency and eco-friendly practices.

There’s more info about the Green Homes Bike Tour and other events planned for Cambridge Climate Change Week on the Cambridge Climate Emergency Action Group website.

Check out the Massachusetts House Tour page for lots more house tours – no bike tours,  just plenty of house tours.

Christmas tree at the curb for pickup

This is last year’s post.  Here’s the Christmas tree recycling info for 2012

Already taken down the tree? Wondering about Christmas tree disposal or recycling?  Here’s the scoop on Christmas tree pickup and recycling in local towns.

Several local towns recycle Christmas trees by turning them into mulch.   When you leave your holiday greens curbside remember:

• Trees mut be bare – stripped of all decorations and tinsel
• Trees should not be left in plastic bags
• Tree stands must be removed
• Wreaths and garlands can’t be recycled because of the wire used. Wreaths and garlands should be left in the trash

Arlington Christmas Tree Pickup

Arlington recycles trees and will pickup trees on your regularly scheduled trash pickup day between January 10 – 14, 2011

Cambridge Christmas Tree Recycling

Cambridge turns Christmas trees into mulch. Trees will be picked up on your regular pickup day between January 3 – 14, 2011

 Somerville Christmas Tree Disposal

In Somerville Christmas trees can be left at the curb during the month of January.  The DPW will pick up the trees for mulching.  If your tree is put out after January it will be picked up as trash.

Christmas Trees in Belmont

In Belmont you should put your Christmas tree out with the trash. Belmont does not recycle trees.

Medford Christmas Tree Pickup

In Medford Christmas trees should be left at the curb on your regular trash pickup day during the week of January 10 -14, 2011. Waste Management sends out a truck to pickup the trees for recylcing / mulching. Since only one truck goes out and it fills up quickly, your tree may not be picked up bright and early but it should be picked up that week. Since the trees are recycled you need to make sure the tree is completely bare.

Medford residents who don’t get their tree out next week  can either leave it with the trash in subsequent weeks or keep it outside until spring and yard waste pickup begins again.

Harvest Your Energy Fair In Medford

Harvest Your Energy Festival In Medford   Bundle up this Saturday and head on over to the McGlynn Elementary and Middle Schools in Medford for the 2010 Harvest Your Energy Festival.

The fair will take place at the base of the wind turbine allowing for a close-up view of Medford’s wind turbine.  In case of rain, the energy fair will be moved into the McGlynn School cafeteria.

Stop by on Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 1 – 4 pm

Harvest Your Energy Festival Activities:

• Learn how to conserve energy and save money with home energy assessments
• Check out an all-electric car
• Talk to reps from Mass Energy about free home energy assessements and energy upgrade rebates
• Meet Wally the Green Monster from 1 to 2 pm
• Face painting, food and music

Medford Energy Fair Participants Include:

• Big Belly
• Diaper Lab
• MassSave
• Sun Bug Solar
• Roots & Shoots
• Pietzo Electric Bikes
• Medford Recycling Committee
• MassEnergy Consumers Alliance
• Zipcar
• Tufts Institute of the Environment
• Eastern Massachusetts Solar Store

Harvest Your Energy Festival in Medford will be held at the McGlynn Elementary and Middle School, 3002 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford, MA 02155 from 1 – 4 pm on October 23, 2010

Windows On Water In Arlington

Windows On Water In Arlington  Didn’t learn enough about local water during Blog Action Day? 

On Thursday you’re invited to attend Windows On Water – an evening event in Arlington all about water and water sustainability in Arlington.

Sponsored by Sustainable Arlington and Arlington EcoFest, the event will include displays, discussion, short films, refreshments and door prizes.

Massachusetts State Rep Will Brownsberger and Arlington Selectman Clarissa Rowe are participating.

Windows on Water is scheduled for Thursday, October 21, 2010 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at 27 Maple Street, Arlington, MA.

Arlington has had single stream recycling since earlier this year.  Somerville is debuting a single stream recycling pilot progam in part of Ward 5 beginning this month.

Single stream recycling is meant to make recycling easier and to increase the amount of waste that is recycled rather than put in the trash.  Instead of separating paper and cardboard  from your cans and bottles you will now be able to put all recyclables in one container.

There’s lots of info on each city’s website – even videos – I watched three videos as I gathered information for this post. Who knew recylcing could be so much fun?

My only concern about these programs is that the big, new recycling barrels could become eyesores. I lived for a few years in New Hampshire – the land of dumpster as lawn ornament. Many people had contracts with local trash hauling companies and the dumpsters were permanent fixtures in plain sight in their yards.  Perish the thought of a parade of big, plastic bins in city yards.

Cambridge Single Stream Recycling

Single stream recycling begins in Cambridge on October 25th. New large wheeled recycling toters are being delivered to Cambridge households this week and next. If you don’t have room for the large toter / barrel you may continue using your blue bin or convert a plastic trash can with a Recycle sticker available from the DPW. 

Starting with your recycling pickup for the week of October 25th all of your recycling can be combined in one container. There is more information on the Cambridge DPW’s website.

New items that can now be recycled in Cambridge:

• clean pizza boxes
• large plastics such as toys, pails and laundry baskets
• frozen food boxes (if they can be ripped)
• empty paper coffee cups
• bagged shredded paper
• spiral cans (I think they mean the tall skinny ones that hold chips or nuts)

Medford Single Stream Recycling

Medford is making several changes that are clearly intended to make residents pay more attention to what they bring to the curb. It’s all too easy to pile up our castoffs at the curb and have them magically disappear. Those days are numbered.

Single stream recycling begins in Medford on November 1, 2010. Starting this week, the City will be delivering two new wheeled carts to Medford homes – a 64 gallon trash barrel and a 96 gallon recycling barrel.  A program guide with more information about the new program will also be delivered.

Both the trash and recycle carts will have lids – a super idea that should cut down on fly away trash on breezy days.

As of November 1st all trash has to be placed inside your new barrel.  Details are forthcoming in the program guide but it sounds as though you will pay for overflow bags or to rent an additional trash container.

Also effective November 1st, bulk goods such as furniture, mattresses, etc will be picked up by reservation only.  A pickup will have to be scheduled with Waste Management by calling 1-800-972-4545.  As of July 1, 2011 there will be a fee charged for bulk items.

New Solar Trash Compactor In Arlington

Solar Trash Cans In Arlington  Have you noticed the new trash cans in Arlington?

These are actually solar trash compactors.  As part of Arlington’s Green Communities designation, the town recieved five Big Big Belly solar trash compactors that have been placed around town.

The compactor is totally driven by solar power and is able to hold five times as much trash as a regular trash can – cutting truck pickups by as much as 80%.  The trash can is completely enclosed which will keep out pests – a valuable feature in an urban environment.

The solar compactors are also used in Newton, Boston and Somerville.  In Arlington the new trash cans can be found at the Jason Street entrance to Menotomy Rocks Park, at Robbins Farm Park on Eastern Ave, and on Mass Ave at Medford St, at Park Ave and near Dag’s Delicatessen.