Now That Christmas is Over What Do You Do with Your Tree?

The Christmas tree era is slowly coming to an end...now what?

I've never had a real Christmas tree so I don't have to worry about getting rid of it. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, if you live in the country you are good to go. If you live with a city limit or if a city/town requires a permit you have to have that before you set that tree in the burn pile.

Missouri Rules for Christmas Trees

You can open-burn yard waste as long as the weather is good, and if you live in the country. If you live within city/county lines you may need to get a permit especially if you live in bigger cities.

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St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield IO don't think we have to worry much about that. However, if you decide that burning your tree is best there are a few warnings to know.

Tree Burning Warning

The smoke from the tree can be toxic. Solo Stove says,

Coniferous needles contain nitrogen and substances called terpenes which are highly toxic when burned, making the smoke in your fire pit unsafe for you and others around your fire pit to breathe.

Your Christmas tree might look dry on the outside, but inside there's plenty of moisture. Solo Stove recommends drying your tree out for a few days and chopping as much as you can before you burn.

Some organizations will come and pick up your tree for a small fee or donation, and you can always bring it to the yard waste facility. Just be careful and next year just get a fake tree and don't mess with the mess.