MulchFest 2018 – Turn Your Christmas Tree into Nourishing Mulch

It’s that time again—time for MulchFest! Each year the city sets up sites where you can bring your tree and/or wreath to be pulverized into mulch. This way you don’t add your tree to the landfills and someone else benefits (perhaps even you) with high quality, nourishing mulch. This year, MulchFest is officially on January 6 and 7, 2018, but you can bring your tree to a drop-off site until Sunday, January 7.

UPDATE 1/12/18: As per the NYC Parks Dept: “MulchFest 2018 has been extended one week! You can drop off your tree for recycling at any MulchFest location through Sunday, January 14.”

In Astoria and LIC there are three MulchFest sites:

• Astoria Park for chipping—19th Street and Hoyt Avenue
• Queensbridge Park for drop off only—Vernon Boulevard and Queensbridge Park Greenway
• Hunters Point South Park for chipping—LIC Landing Events Space at 51st Avenue and Center Boulevard

Trees will be chipped on Saturday and Sunday, January 6 and 7, from 10am-2pm at chipping sites. You can either leave the resulting wood chips from your tree to be used around the city for street trees, plants, and gardens, or, you can take home a bag of the mulch for your own needs. I will say, it smells amazing, so it’s worth taking some home for just that. They’ll even provide a bag for the mulch.

According to the City, “more than 26,000 trees were recycled last year.” They’d love to increase that number, and you can help by bringing in your tree or wreath to be chipped.

Now, we know some of you may not be mobile enough to take a tree down to the waterfront parks, or maybe you are just too busy with life and work. You can still add your tree to the MulchFest project: NY Dept of Sanitation will be collecting trees curbside from Tuesday, January 2 through Saturday, January 13, 2018.

And for everyone, please remember to take off all your lights, ornaments, other man made objects (including the stand) before you donate your tree or wreath to MulchFest.

We hope you are able to participate in MulchFest this year!