Christmas trees are the crown jewel of many homes during the holidays. No matter if it goes up a month before or just days away from Christmas, trees eventually must come down. Along with traditional tree disposal, there are plenty of was to recycle and compost your trees.

The York County Solid Waste Authority is holding its 35th annual Christmas tree recycling program. Residents can drop their Christmas trees off or see if their municipalities offer curbside pick up, according to Jennifer Cristofoletti, the community services division manager at the authority. Wood Crusher

Residents should remove any bags, ornaments, lights and tinsel from trees being dropped off in person and should place trees in the parking lot directly across the street from the York County Resource Recovery Center in Manchester Township, at 2651 Blackbridge Road.

Each year, the authority gets around 50 tons of trees that are turned into mulch through H&H General Excavating.

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While a Christmas tree may no longer have roots in the ground, it can be returned to nature and contribute to the environment one more time. Turn your Christmas tree into a natural bird feeder like in this American Forests article. Prop up the tree outside and string up pinecones covered in peanut butter and bird seed. You can use other bird-friendly foods like stale bread or seeds as well.

If you're of a DIY mindset and want to get a head start on your spring gardening, you can make your own mulch as well. All you need is a wood chipper, which can be rented from stores like Home Depot.

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Christmas trees can be used for a variety of crafts and decorations as well. If you're not ready to halt the holiday cheer, you can use branches from your tree to make wreaths. Not sure where to start? Follow this how-to from Better Homes and Gardens to learn more.

Another simple craft to make from your tree is sachets of pine needles. Fill a satin pouch with needles from your tree to get a year-round holiday scent, according to AmericanForests.com. Place these in drawers or desks to keep the areas smelling fresh.

Petrol Chipper Shredder — Reach Noel Miller at NMiller3@yorkdispatch.com or via Twitter at @TheNoelM.