This weekend, Chicago alleys will become graveyards for sad, lonely Christmas trees, some with tinsel still hanging from their branches. It's depressing enough that the holiday season is over—let's not make our mood worse by tossing trees in the trash, okay?
The city makes it pretty easy to recycle your tree. Starting tomorrow (January 3) through January 17, you can drop off your tree at 23 city parks, and the city will ground down the trees for mulch. The park locations are below, but if you can't muster the energy to do the drop-off yourself, you can contact Do the Right Thing! Recycling. For $25, they'll come to your house, take your tree (you need to remove the lights and ornaments, of course), clean up all those pesky pine needles and take the tree to its dignified end, a mulching drop-off site.
Bessemer Park
8930 S Muskegon Ave
Clark Park
3400 N Rockwell St
Forestry Site
900 E 103rd St
Garfield Park
100 N Central Park Ave
Grant Park
900 S Columbus Dr
Humboldt Park Boathouse
1369 N Sacramento Ave
Jackson Park
6300 S Cornell Ave
Kennedy Park
2427 W 113rd St
Kelvyn Park
4438 W Wrightwood Ave
Lake Meadows Park
3117 S Rhodes Ave
Lincoln Park
Cannon Dr at Fullerton Ave
Margate Park
4921 N Marine Dr
Marquette Park
6700 S Kedzie Ave
McKinley Park
2210 W Pershing Rd
Mt. Greenwood Park
3721 W 111th St
North Park Village
5801 N Pulaski Rd
Norwood Park
5801 N Natoma Ave
Portage Park
4100 N Long Ave
Riis Park
6201 W Wrightwood Ave
Rowan Park
11546 S Avenue L
Sheridan Park
910 S Aberdeen St
Warren Park
6601 N Western Ave
Wentworth Park
5701 S Narragansett Ave