How to Dispose of a Christmas Tree (Real or Fake) in Westlake

WESTLAKE, OH - Now that Christmas is over and the countdown to the end of 2016 is on, you probably want to know how to get rid of that dead tree in your house. Luckily, the City of Westlake has clear, easy-to-follow guidelines on how to get rid of your Christmas tree.

For those of you who chopped down a tree and brought it on home, you can leave the conifer on the curb with your regular trash. The city's brush truck will then collect and dispose of the tree for you. Common sense and the city ask that you strip the tree of any accoutrements you may have decorated your tree with. Namely, don't leave lights or ornaments on your tree.

The city will also refuse to take your free if you leave it in the tree stand, so unscrew the Blue Spruce before you show it the door.

If you want to be as eco-friendly as possible, there are a list of farms that will take your Christmas trees as animal feed. You can find that list here.

Finally, for those of you that shelled out the big bucks for a perfectly shaped, though wholly plastic or fiber, Christmas tree and now want to rid yourself of the thing are in luck. The city will still dispose of your tree for you, but you'll need to break it down into chunks. No fully erected artificial trees will be accepted.

Once they're broken down, you can leave the parts with your regular trash.

Patch file photo