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Shakopee Mdewakanton Organic Recycling Facility to Accept Christmas Trees

Prior Lake, MN – Wondering what to do with your live Christmas tree once the holidays are over and its needles start dropping? The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community invites the general public to drop off their live Christmas tree, at no charge, at the Organics Recycling Facility (ORF) after the holidays. The trees must be free of tinsel, flocking, and other non-compostable material. The SMSC Organics Recycling Facility, located on trust land off County Road 83, opened to the public in the fall of 2011.

Hours for Christmas tree drop off will be 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, December 26, 2012,-January 11, 2013, as well as Saturday, January 5, 2013, and Saturday, January 12, 2013, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The ORF will be closed on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013. There is no charge for up to three Christmas trees per visit. Garlands and spruce tops can also be dropped off as long as metal and other non-compostables are a minor component. Wreaths can be accepted only if the metal cage is removed prior to drop off. All lights, stands, and decorations must be removed.

At the site, organic materials are mixed together to create compost. Organic materials include yard and food waste, woody debris, and biodegradable paper products such as cardboard which are transported to the ORF. Using best management practices and following both state and federal guidelines, staff foster an environment where microbes break down the materials naturally. After about 12 weeks these materials are transformed into usable compost, decomposed organic matter rich in nutrients which can be used as a soil amendment.

The address for the Organics Recycling Facility is 1905 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, Minnesota 55379. For more information about the ORF, the Scale House can be reached at 952-403-7030.

 

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