Although the holiday season is not yet over, preparations are already under way by various groups in town to ensure the sustainability of the post-festivity rush to the “dump” as residents clean up before heading back to their routines in January. Venture Crew 42, a co-ed unit of the Boy Scouts of America, has joined in to provide residents with an environmentally-friendly system of throwing out evergreen decor from the holidays.
Evergreen holiday decor is typically made up of entirely natural material, whether it be balsam fir or Canadian hemlock. Roping, wreaths, and kissing balls can oftentimes also contain metal wiring to maintain their form. This combination of biodegradable and nonbiodegradable materials can result in confusion as to the proper methods for their disposal while maintaining a notable level of environmental consciousness. Left alone outdoors, evergreen waste with wiring can pose a hazard to interested animals that could choke or become caught on the wiring, which will not break down at the fast rate of the evergreen material it holds together.
With the help of Clean Air Lawn Care and its infamous solar-powered equipment, Crew 42 is offering a low-cost service to Wellesley residents who are interested in pursuing a sustainable method of disposal for their evergreen decor. On January 3, the Scouting organization will pick up trees [and other..?] at residents’ homes beginning at 8am and will transport them to the Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF). Crew 42 will safely separate all contaminants, such as metal wiring, from biodegradable evergreens before dumping them to be broken down.
“Since Venture Crew does so many things activities in the wilderness, we find that it’s especially to help preserve it for future generations,” said Crew Secretary Olivia Boyd. “So we’re offering this sustainable option for residents to get rid of their Christmas tree.”
For more information and to sign up to have a tree picked up on January 3, Wellesley residents can contact Crew 42 at crew42secretary@gmail.com.
(Matthew Hornung & Olivia Gieger)
The Green Pages 