When the time comes: How to dispose of your Christmas tree

You can leave the Christmas lights up until January, right? But if you opted for a natural tree it might be time to say goodbye soon, especially if you got it well ahead of the season.

When the time comes there are many options to dispose of this year’s tree.

One of the easiest ways is via a charity. There are charities across the U.S. that accept donations of Christmas artificial trees while many cities' waste management offer collection services for real ones. Dropping off natural trees at designated recycling sites will keep it out of landfills and this year's tree become next spring's mulch.

If you have a small tree you could simply remove the decorations and chop them into smaller pieces for disposal in your regular garden and yard waste collection.

It is even possible to compost a real Christmas tree although it will take some hard work to break branches into tiny pieces.

Depending on how green-fingered you are and if you bought a the right kind of tree, you could even replant the tree and never say goodbye to the festive season!