Feed the ‘Beast’ for free mulch, says DEH

(CNS): The annual Christmas tree-mulching programme will begin on 1 January, public officials have said, as they asked people to place their used real trees in containers around the island. To stop the trees from adding to the landfill problems the Department of Environmental Health’s (DEH) grinding machine, known as the “Beast”, will recycle the trees in a giant feeding frenzy on Saturday, 21 January at George Town cricket field. Last year, more than 1,800 Christmas trees were gobbled up by the Beast, resulting in around two-and-a-half dump-truck loads of mulch, which was given away.

The trees, which must be real, not artificial, can be dropped off at containers at the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay, George Town cricket field, Spotts dock and the southern entrance to Frank Sound Road. The public are then welcome to watch the trees being mulched by the industrial wood-grinding machine. The processing begins at 7am with the mulch given away for free on a first-come first-served basis to gardeners and farmers. Anyone who brings their shovel or rake and bags to collect it from the field can take the mulch to use around the garden to enrich and insulate the soil.

“This process of recycling the trees is a great way to save space at the landfill and is ideal material for people to spread in their gardens and yards at no cost other than coming to collect it,” said DEH’s Recycling Foreman of Solid Waste Angello Roye.

The mulching project is part of an emerging recycling initiative to divert waste from going into the landfill. Recycling is also central to the proposed Integrated Solid Waste Management System, which is currently in the first stage of the procurement phase, with government aiming to have a contract in place, in principle, by spring 2017. Composting and mulching is expected to play a significant part in the new system.

For more information about the Christmas tree recycling programme, contact DEH’s Solid Waste unit at 949-8793.