Wake County turns live trees into trail mulch through January

Wake County’s Happy Trails program is accepting live Christmas trees at nine drop-off locations through Jan. 31, 2026, and converting the trees into mulch used to repair and protect county park trails. The effort is both a waste-reduction initiative and a practical way to maintain the trails residents use for walking, running, and cycling.

County parks crews collect trees, chip them into mulch and apply the material on soft-surface trails to reduce erosion and improve footing. Last year the program processed about 3,800 trees and produced roughly 83 tons of mulch. That yield works out to about 43 pounds of mulch per tree, a volume that translates into meaningful trail coverage across multiple parks and greenways.

Ben Witternberg, a Wake County park manager, called the program "a strong recycling effort that benefits local trails." His assessment reflects the dual benefits: the county diverts organic waste from landfills while capturing a low-cost source of trail surfacing material. For residents, the net effect is better-maintained trails and fewer holiday trees ending up in municipal solid-waste streams.

Volunteers are invited to help spread mulch on county trails, an opportunity that gives community members a hands-on role in preserving nearby green spaces. The county has posted a drop-off schedule and information on volunteer sign-ups on its parks and recreation website; drop-off locations remain open through the end of January to accommodate late-decorated trees and residents who delay removal.

Beyond immediate maintenance, the program highlights a local circular-economy practice: municipal agencies turning household organic waste into a usable product for public infrastructure. That reduces hauling and tipping costs and extends the life of trail tread surfaces, which can lower long-term maintenance budgets. For Wake County, a program that converted 3,800 trees into 83 tons of mulch last season is a measurable contribution to both sustainability and fiscal prudence.

For Wake County residents who use the trails, the practical takeaway is straightforward: dropping off a live tree helps local parks stay in better shape, and volunteering a few hours can directly improve the routes you and your neighbors use every day. Our two cents? If you have a live tree to dispose of, bring it to a Happy Trails site and consider signing up to help spread the mulch — it’s an easy way to keep Wake County trails in shape and reduce holiday waste.