15 days into the New Year and discarded Christmas trees still line New York City streets. Actually, I shouldn't complain because when walking by you still get a little whif of pine, a much better scent than one is used to.

This picture was taken last weekend one block from Riverside park where "Mulchfest 07" was going on. Yet instead of carrying these trees another block so that they could be ground into wood chips and scattered in parks, they were piled on the sidewalk, stands and all, to be picked up as trash.

Actually, the New York City Department of Sanitation has to spend extra money each year to deal with all the trees. Tomorrow is the last day it will have crews collecting trees. Special Christmas tree-only collection routes were established from January 5 to January 16. However, only trees stripped of all decorations (and I'm assuming stands) would be picked up and also gound into mulch for use in city parks.

Trees left out on the street after the 16th will be discarded as trash.

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However, if you took the time

to pick out a tree, drag it up into your apartment, decorate, water and take pictures by it during the holiday season, doesn't it deserve a better send off than left out on the sidewalk? If you bring your ch

ild to choose a tree, why not teach the child to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner? The Parks Department had drop off points in city parks so they could be mulched on the weekend of January 6th and 7th. Why make the city spend money to pick up your tree and take it the park. Or even worse, to the dump?