Happy Trails Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Wake County’s Happy Trails Christmas Tree Recycling Program Each year, Christmas trees adorned with ornaments and tinsel become the centerpiece of many homes during the Holiday season. Even before all the presents have been opened, Christmas trees start to dry out and shed their needles. In Wake County; however, our Christmas trees still have much more to offer after the Holiday season ends. Live Christmas trees are biodegradable, which means they can be easily recycled into mulch. Rather than sending Christmas trees to be buried in a landfill, Wake County’s Happy Trails Program, encourages residents to drop off trees at designated convenience centers and county parks throughout the county. In October of 2012, the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division rebranded the Happy Trails Program to highlight the partnership with Wake County Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department, to provide a “second use” for these trees. The new rebrand operationally launched on Wednesday, December 26th, 2012. Since then, the Happy Trails Program has collected more than 17,435 Christmas trees, resulting in approximately 347 tons of nutrient-rich, aroma filled mulch to improve Wake County’s park trails. This year, Wake County residents recycled a record 4,925 Christmas trees, creating more than 98 tons of mulch for the park trails.