Real Christmas trees are biodegradable. That means they can be used in many ways that are beneficial to the environment.
The problem is getting the trees to the right place.
That’s why Scout troops all over the country are helping Christmas tree owners find safe and responsible ways to dispose of their old trees.
Troop 8 in Peterborough, New Hampshire, will spend the next week or so collecting trees and bringing them to a local recycling center.
“It’s a fundraiser for our troop, but it’s also kind of a community service project,” the troop’s committee chair told the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. “People are so happy to not have to deal with getting rid of their Christmas trees.”
Troop 1 in St. Helena, California, works with a local tree care company to help residents recycle, according to this story from the St. Helena Star.
Troop 424 in Jackson, Michigan, makes their tree-collecting project their first official Scout activity of the New Year.
“It brings the kids back after Christmas,” the troop’s committee chair told the Michigan Live website.
Some troops leave notes with recycling instructions at neighborhood homes. Others create forms that residents can use to sign up online.
Either is fine, as long as the trees get to where they need to be!
If a handy Scout troop isn’t around your neighborhood, the National Christmas Tree Association recommends contacting your local waste management service for advice on responsibly disposing of your tree.
Holiday lights can be recycled, too
Scouts BSA Troop 231 in Omaha, Nebraska, is helping residents properly dispose of burned-out holiday lights by collecting them and delivering them to a local scrap yard for recycling.
“The wire gets stripped, and then that wire gets reused,” a representative from the scrap yard told KETV7 in Omaha. “And so, it keeps it out of landfills and we’re able to upcycle and use it for something else.”
Assistant SPL writes local newspaper in support of his Scouts BSA troop
The people most qualified to recruit new members to Scouting are almost always the Scouts themselves.
Take Harry Jasinski, the assistant senior patrol leader from Troop 1 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
“Scouting teaches boys not just camping skills, but also character development, citizenship and physical and mental fitness,” Harry Jasinski writes in the Newport Buzz.
“Every other summer, we go on a high adventure trip, where we spend a week of the summer camping and doing something difficult. For our high adventure trip in 2021, we went backpacking in New Hampshire. We had a great time and summited nine mountain peaks.”
Way to go, Harry!
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