How to get rid of a Christmas tree

Benjamin Franklin had a saying about fish and visitors both smelling after several days. While your Christmas tree isn't going to smell bad after Christmas, it can still become an unwanted visitor. So how do you get rid of a Christmas tree once the festivities have died down?

* Throw it down the back of the section or under the deck:

If you've got a large property, maybe you can throw it down the back or mulch it. But that's tougher to get away with in high density housing areas. Nikki Mulligan, owner/manager of the Alfriston Christmas Tree Farm, says they often get calls from customers for Christmas tree removal and have been offering the extra service for some time. "Quite often we'll see last year's tree as well," says Mulligan, "you'll find a skeletal pine tree sitting under the deck. The pine needles may fall off but you'll always have the skeleton."

* Release it to the wild from whence it came:

Mulligan says she has heard stories of people driving out of Auckland to dump a tree back in the forest. It's a real trial for some people who aren't allowed fires, she says, adding that even though there are easier ways to dispose of a tree, people are more inclined to dream up more devious methods.

* Chop the tree up and put one piece in the wheelie bin each week until it's gone:

Apart from the fact that you're not allowed to fill your bin with trees, won't you feel like you're straight out of Goodfellas or the Sopranos? You're one sick puppy.

* Get a Garden bag/bin collection service to pick it up:

Sunshine Garden Bags is just one company that offers this service. Manager Russell Kyle says it can be a problem for a lot of people, but not their regular customers, who simply leave the tree is alongside the garden bin or bag on collection day. If it's there we take it and charge $10 per Xmas tree. Kyle says they will also collect trees on a casual one-off basis, but the price is a little higher for non-regular clients. Trees are shredded and go into compost, so they're totally recycled.

* The total avoidance technique:

Stick with an artificial tree. Yeah it's a cop out, and you won't have that lovely pine smell in the house. But then if that's what you're like, you've probably sprayed the room with pine-scented air freshener anyway.