Rapid City Christmas tree count totals are in

RAPID CITY, S.D.– 29 tons, or 58,000 pounds of holiday greenery was collected in Rapid City after the Christmas season.

It’s a lot, but actually down from the 36 tons collected a year ago.

So, what does the city do now?  Same as the past few years. Break it down into mulch or compost to help make lawns plush and green.

“We just want to offer a great way to dispose of those so they’re not thrown into the trash can where, you know, our trucks can’t pick those up, or dumped on the road or anything like that,” Solid Waste Education Outreach Coordinator Ria Harper said. “We just want to offer a great resource for the public and then also that those trees are getting repurposed.”

Prices will be determined based on how much mulch or compost is purchased.

“So they can actually come out to the landfill. We’re open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 to 4:45,” Harper said. “And then they can just come across the scale. Some people just bring in a five gallon bucket, or they can get a trailer full.”