What to do with your Christmas tree? Here are three options for Craven County residents

Todd Wetherington, Sun Journal
·2 min read
From mulching to saving sand dunes, Craven County residents have some unique options this year when it comes to disposing of their Christmas trees.
From mulching to saving sand dunes, Craven County residents have some unique options this year when it comes to disposing of their Christmas trees.

It’s that time of year again. The lights have come down, the wrapping paper is put away and one burning question remains — how to get rid of the Christmas tree?

Luckily for Craven County residents, there are a number of options for post-holidays tree removal this year.

New Bern High School Band fundraiser

For those still in a charitable Christmas spirit, the New Bern High School Band is offering tree pick up as part of their Christmas Tree Fundraiser. Band members will collect natural trees for a donation of $20 and deliver them for use in the Fort Macon sand dune restoration effort.

Pick-up will be available through Jan. 31.

Proceeds will go towards new band instruments and future competitions and events.

Fort Macon State Park repurposes old Christmas trees to help repair local beaches, which have suffered damage from hurricanes. over the last decade. The trees are placed on the beach to trap sand and rebuild the dunes.

To sign up for the NBHS Band tree pickup, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-PkG_LQOk5iwOHEF9PbDPY3XneLVwxO5eaqVnvEvu48Tbyw/viewform

Trees can also be delivered directly to the Fort Macon Visitors Center parking lot from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The trees should be dropped off by Jan. 30,

City of New Bern

City customers can have their discarded organic and artificial Christmas trees picked up by the city’s bulk waste crews. Residents should place the trees curbside, not on the street or sidewalk, and away from power and utility sources.

All décor and lights should be removed from the trees.

Artificial trees will be disposed of, while organic trees will be recycled at the city’s leaf and limb yard and broken down into mulch. The mulch is used for beautification projects throughout New Bern’s streets and parks, though it cannot be used in area playgrounds.

According to Parks and Recreation Director Kari Warren, the mulch can be spotted around the beds under City of New Bern signs throughout the city.

Craven County

Real and artificial trees can be taken to any of Craven County's seven convenience centers, located at various sites throughout the county. They are open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Residents making drop-offs should be off of the site no later than 6:20 p.m.

Craven County’s convenience center locations are:

•101 Convenience Center, 3405 NC Highway 101, Havelock,

•Bridgeton, 605 NC Highway 55 East, New Bern

•Fort Barnwell, 205 Belltown Road, Dover

•Croatan, 7240 Highway 70 East, New Bern

•Monette's, 4001 Old Cherry Point Road, New Bern

•Sanders Lane, 121 Sanders Lane, New Bern

•Vanceboro, 246 Bailey Lane, Vanceboro

Reporter Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: What to do with the Christmas tree? Three options for Craven residents