PWC, Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation and Duke Energy sponsor the Annual Grinding of the Greens Christmas Tree Recycling Program. The-Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation will be collecting live Christmas trees during the week of January 8 through 12.

How did live Christmas Trees become so popular in the United States?

“References to Christmas trees in private homes or establishments in North America date back to the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Flanders mentions a reference to a pine tree in North Carolina in 1786. In 1805, a school for American Indians run by Moravian missionaries sent students to fetch a small green tree for Christmas. Similar examples pop up in the first half of the nineteenth century in the Midwest, and further West, such as the German immigrants in Texas, who decorated trees with moss, cotton, pecans, red pepper swags, and popcorn.

“The image of the decorated tree with presents underneath has a specific origin: an engraving of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children gathering around the Christmas tree, eyeing the presents underneath, was published in the Illustrated London News in 1848. The premier women’s magazine in America, back then, Godney’s Lady’s Book reprinted a version of the image a couple of years later, as The Christmas Tree. This single image cemented the Christmas Tree in the popular consciousness,” according to Time Magazine

In 1994, PWC, Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation and Duke Energy established the Annual Grinding of the Greens. “The Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation enhances the quality of life by providing safe, accessible, affordable, and leisure recreation activities for all citizens,” according to their website.

The Public Works Commission was created by an act of the North Carolina Legislature to provide utility services to all citizens and industry within the city of Fayetteville, Town of Hope Mills and surrounding incorporated areas.

“The Public Works Commission is owned by the City of Fayetteville and its citizens” according to Fayetteville Public Works Commission. Duke Energy Progress is an electrical company in Wade, North Carolina.

The environmental benefits of the Annual Grinding of the Greens are reducing the carbon footprint.
“The production of long-lasting bark mulch releases the Carbon Dioxide slowly over several years as part of the natural process. The carbon is stored in the soil and prevents the release into the atmosphere which is one primary cause of global warming.,” according to Inverse.com.

“We are gearing up for the 30th Annual Grinding of the Greens. This is our recycling Christmas tree program. When I say ‘our,’ it is referring to the long-standing partnership of PWC, Duke Energy, and Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation. It is an opportunity for those with live trees to put them on the curbside.

"This program has taken place so that we can use recyclable materials and to keep them out of the landfill. The mulch is used in the beautiful Fayetteville Community Garden and local community parks,” said Lamont Hinson, Communication and Community Relations, PWC.

Join us for the community event of the Grinding of the Greens on Jan. 13, at 8:30 a.m. Public officials and representatives of PWC will be in attendance. The drop off location is the Christmas Tree Pick-Up, Fayetteville Community Gardens, on Vanstory and Mann streets, Fayetteville.

The event has a “great smell like Christmas even though Christmas is over and into the New Year,” said Hinson.

Have live trees out on the curb for pick-up on Jan. 7. It is recommended all ornaments, stands and trimmings are removed from the live tree. Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks and Recreation will pick up the trees during the days of January 8 through 12 for residents of Fayetteville.

For those who miss the pickup dates or reside outside of Fayetteville, the live trees can be dropped off at the Christmas Tree Pick-Up, Fayetteville Community Gardens, corner of Vanstory and Mann streets, off Wilmington Road before Jan. 13.