The Department of Sanitation collects about 2,500 tons of Christmas trees every January. Since 1993, budget permitting, these trees are ground into wood chips to be used as mulch, or as a bulking agent to mix with yard waste to produce compost at DSNY's outdoor composting sites.
The Department of Sanitation requests that ornaments, lights, tinsel, and stands be removed from Christmas trees before they are set out for collection.
See give more, waste less and Christmas tree recycling for more info.
Through MulchFest, 
sponsored by the Departments of Parks & Recreation and Sanitation, New Yorkers can bring their Christmas trees to designated spots to be chipped on site. At certain locations, participants can take home bags of mulch to use on their own plants and yards. See how to use mulch.
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Christmas Tree Composting
