The holidays are fast approaching, and so is NYC Parks’ annual Mulchfest tree chipping celebration! Beginning December 26, New Yorkers can “tree”-cycle their trees at local parks, with convenient drop-off sites in all five boroughs. NYC Parks wants you to bid your Holiday Tree fir-well during Mulchfest 2023!
This year, Parks will be hosting one chipping weekend, where New Yorkers can actively mulch their holiday trees: January 7 and 8. On these days, residents can bring their tree to a chipping site, watch their tree be chipped, and bring a bag of nutrient-rich mulch home with them. Weather permitting, DSNY will also collect and compost trees left at curbs from Friday, January 6, 2023, through Saturday, January 14, 2023.
Mulchfest 2023 will run from December 26 through January 8. New Yorkers will be able to drop off holiday trees at one of 73 sites – 34 are chipping sites – across the five boroughs, including parks and Greenthumb gardens. The trees are then chipped and recycled, and the mulch is used to nourish city trees and plants in every corner of the city.
Here is the complete list of Mulchfest drop-off and Saturday chipping sites.
About NYC Parks Department Mulchfest ~ Mulchfest, part of the New York City holiday tradition, encourages New Yorkers to make greening a family activity—turning holiday trees into mulch which can be used for gardening and to increase soil fertility. For more than 20 years, Parks and DSNY have collected and mulched trees to help planting beds and community gardens around the city grow. Mulch maintains the health of our trees and plants citywide by deterring weeds, retaining moisture, preventing compaction, adding nutrients to the soil, and keeping roots warm. In recent years, Parks has mulched between 25,000 and 30,000 on average annually, with a record-setting 50,900+ mulched during Mulchfest 2020.