Chipping trees for free

• Partnership between City of Kelowna and RDCO
• Chipped trees are turned into compost
• Eco-friendly way to dispose of live trees

Get rid of your Christmas tree the eco-friendly way – for free.

The City of Kelowna, in partnership with the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), is offering tree chipping for live trees until then end of the month.

“Once trees go into the landfill, they contribute to methane gas production as they break down,” Cynthia Coates, Waste Reduction Facilitator at RDCO told Kelowna10 at one of the drop off locations.

“When we chip them, we’re able to compost them and use them in a more friendly manner.”

Coates said the chipped trees are turned into a compost called GlenGrow, which can be purchased at the Glenmore Landfill. The compost can be used as a top dressing for flower beds, vegetable gardens, lawns, and shrubs.

The city asks that all decorations and tinsel be removed before recycling the tree as they interfere with the composting process.

“It’s important that we take this material away from landfilling and do something better with it,” Coates said.

“It’s a very old program. We’ve had it for quite some time and we’re happy to see that people are still using it.”

Another way to dispose of a tree is to cut it into smaller pieces and place it in the yard waste bin for collection when it starts again in March.

“I’ve heard of some people donating to goat farms, so that’s kind of a unique way [but] I’m not sure who’s doing that in the region,” she said.

Drop off locations include Ben Lee Park, Capital News Centre, and the Glenmore Landfill. Locations are also available in Lake Country and West Kelowna.