As the glittering lights of the holiday season dim, Oak Ridge residents start stowing away festive decorations. The City of Oak Ridge has issued guidelines for the disposal of both live and artificial Christmas trees, intending to tidy up the post-holiday landscape efficiently. Live Christmas trees can be dropped off at multiple locations throughout the city, including the parking lot at Big Turtle Park, Solway Park, and the Warehouse Road Convenience Center.
At Big Turtle Park, clear signage will direct residents to where they should place their live trees, wreaths, and garland. However, the city will not accept brush or tinsel. People are requested to use the nearby trash bin for disposing of plastic bags or any other garbage, rather than leaving it with the pile of trees, as detailed in a statement issued by the City of Oak Ridge.
Meanwhile, Solway Park, which is situated next to the boat ramp on Edgemoor Road, provides another drop-off point. Trees collected at this location will find new purpose at Living Earth, an organic waste recycling center in Solway. Here, the discards of holiday cheer are converted into something that endures, nurturing the ground for subsequent seasons of growth.
For those artificial trees that have served their last season, the city emphasizes a different protocol. Artificial trees should not be left at either park but must be broken down and placed in residents' regular trash pickup, or taken directly to the Warehouse Road Convenience Center for disposal in the household garbage compactors. Live trees are also accepted at the Convenience Center at 400 Warehouse Road up until the end of January 2025, and residents need to ensure that real trees cut down to under 8-foot lengths for the curb pickup, which runs through January 15, as
