With the Christmas season drawn to a close, many residents now find themselves looking for the best way to remove natural Christmas trees in the upcoming weeks. This effort is facilitated by the City of Moose Jaw, which offers two separate options to dispose of these trees.
For residents who prefer to have their natural tree picked up by city crews, Christmas tree collection begins on Monday, Jan. 15 in Zone 1. Following this, all remaining zones will be included in accordance with regular waste collection schedules.
A full waste collection calendar for 2024 can be found at MooseJaw.ca.
To assist city crews in the effort, residents are asked to leave the tree easily accessible and near their existing waste collection bins.
Residents wishing to drop off natural Christmas trees by themselves have a newly designated area to do so. The new site is the Community Bulk Recycling Depot, located at 1050 High Street West. The designated area is clearly marked and can be used at any time.
Residents are reminded that the previous drop-off location at the Yara Centre parking lot is no longer being used for this purpose.
The Moose Jaw Fire Department is reminding residents that dried out Christmas trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage. If your tree dries out or you’re otherwise ready to take it down, the best place to store the tree is outdoors by your city waste bins.
Previously, the Moose Jaw Fire Department has warned that a typical cut tree that has dried out can rapidly burn to ash within mere minutes.
If you do plan to keep your natural tree on display for some time, the best advice is to keep it away from sources of heat, use properly rated tree lights without broken cords or loose bulb connections, and keep the tree watered on a regular basis. One in three house fires caused by Christmas trees are caused by electrical problems, and keeping the tree consistently watered can greatly reduce the risk of fire as well as keeping needles green and soft.
For typical tree species including Balsam Fir and Cypress, cut trees can last for four or five weeks, with species such as Pine and Spruce typically lasting around two or three weeks, granted consistent watering.
There is no additional cost to have trees removed by city crews and no additional measures need to be taken on behalf of residents for the tree to be collected.
For more information on Moose Jaw’s waste and recycling programs, visit MooseJaw.ca/LetsTalkTrash.
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