Take Your Tree to a "Mulch" Better Place

Don’t let your beautiful Christmas tree end up buried with the ugly trash. Take your Christmas tree to a “mulch” better place.   Recycle your Christmas tree with the annual “Grinding of the Greens” sponsored by Sumter County Keep America Beautiful, Clemson Extension Service, Sumter County Public Works, and City of Sumter Public Services.

The purpose of the “Grinding of the Greens” is to reduce the number of trees going into the landfill and to provide mulch to residents.  Each tree can take up three to five cubic feet of space.  Landscape refuse such as leaves, grass clippings, limbs and even Christmas trees accounts for approximately 20 percent of the waste dumped in our landfills.  These valuable organic materials can easily be recycled and added back to the landscape as mulch.

Mulch can be used to conserve moisture, reduce weed competition, reduce plant stress, and serve as a unifying element in the landscape.  Mulch can be used on container plants, flower beds, under berry bushes or fruit trees and in vegetable gardens.  It can also be used on garden paths and along fences to prevent weed growth.

Every Sumter resident will have an opportunity to donate their real Christmas tree until January 14. Before donating your tree to the “Grinding of the Greens”, please note the following: Only live Christmas trees will be accepted-no wreaths, garland, greenery or tree stands.  Please remove all tinsel, lights and decorations. City residents may donate their trees by removing all decorations and placing them at the curb, which will be picked up by January 14.   County residents are asked to remove decorations from their real Christmas trees and deliver them to one the following sites until January 14:

• County Recycling Centers: Rainaire Boulevard, Stamey Livestock Road, Cane Savannah Road, Pinewood Road, Queen Chapel Road, Bethel Church Road, Alligator Branch Road, Pleasant Grove and Spencer Road

• At the entrance to Dillon Park (off Frontage Road)

On Saturday, January 16 from 7 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., at Dillon Park, FREE MULCH made from Christmas trees will be distributed to residents by volunteers on a first-come, first-served basis.  If you would like to have some mulch, bring containers or bags, tools to pick it up and a way to haul it.  Even those who do not donate a tree can receive mulch.  This is the only time mulch will be distributed and it will be distributed to residents only – no commercial enterprises. 

For more information about recycling your Christmas tree, contact City Public Services office at 436-2248 or County Public Works office at 436-2241.