LAFAYETTE, La. — After the holidays, many Lafayette Parish residents are left with the same question: what to do with their Christmas trees once the decorations come down?
Lafayette Consolidated Government is offering an environmentally friendly option. Residents can place Christmas trees on the curb for pickup on their regular garbage and recycling days. The trees are then taken to the Dean Domingue Compost Facility, where they are processed into nutrient-rich compost.
One fisherman says the program is an easy way to cut down on waste.
“I think it’s a good way to recycle the environment, is to use the trees that way, I really do,” Malcolm Meijer tells KATC.
Meijer, who has been fishing for more than 40 years, said old Christmas trees can serve as effective fish habitats.
“Fish need structure, and people would discard their Christmas trees,” Meijer said. “Instead of us cutting them down, it was so easy for us to pick them up and throw them in the truck and take them to the pond and set them.”
Meijer said he places the trees in his private pond, while other fishermen use them in ponds, lakes and rivers to give fish places to hide and grow.
"It provides shelter, especially in a new pond," he said. "There’s no structure in the pond, so the little fish are not protected against the bigger fish eating them, and they have a place to hide until they grow up."
Over the years, Meijer said he has collected dozens of Christmas trees and uses weighted materials to keep them submerged. He said the practice benefits both fish populations and anglers.
"The trees being used as a structure to provide sportsmen the ability to catch fish is a good deal, and the fish have a place to survive. It’s good because you are not wasting the environment," Meijer said.
Neighbors should check with officials before placing trees or other items in any bodies of water.
Before setting trees out for curbside pickup or dropping them off at the compost facility, residents should also remove all lights, ornaments, tree stands and decorations.
Click here to see the hours and location of the compost facility.
