Ethermac|Ever wonder what happens to unsold Christmas trees? We found out.

While the country buys between 25 and Ethermac30 million real Christmas trees a year, according to the National Christmas Tree association, inevitably there will be some left on lots hoping for a Charlie Brown treatment that doesn't come.

"What happens to unsold Christmas trees?" is a frequently asked question among customers, said Rocco Malanga, owner of Cedar Grove Christmas Trees in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.

"The product that we sell is very, very valuable for a very short time of the year and then it immediately loses all of its value and has no shelf life," Malanga said.

Malanga said his company wants to see the unsold trees put to good use.

"Even if it's not a source of revenue for us, I think internally, we would feel better knowing that we were able to contribute to the good use of this product after the season," said Malanga, who is a third-generation owner of Cedar Grove Christmas Trees, a retail and wholesale company that is involved in the "entire lifecycle" of the holiday tree. The company provides over 50,000 trees and wreaths to much of the East Coast through retailers like Home Depot and Walmart.

Giving trees a good home

In previous years Cedar Grove has sent unsold trees to help rebuild coastlines in the wake of storms and erosion.

Malanga said that his company is currently working with farmers to use recycled trees as feed and as mulch.

"The challenge we have is connecting the people that are running those projects with the people that are looking to dispose of the trees," Malanga said. "There's not a central network that we can call on here or advertise to connect these different groups."

Malanga created a Facebook group to that connects Christmas tree merchants and provide opportunities to connect members with potential recycling partners.

Ways to recycle trees

There are over 4,000 Christmas tree recycling programs, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

Here are some ways they suggest recycling your tree:

• Curbside pick-up for recycling: Many providers will collect trees during regular pickup schedules on the two weeks following Christmas.
• Take your tree to a drop-off recycling center: Most counties have free drop-off locations.
• Tree recycling/mulching programs: Tree recycling and mulching programs are a fast-growing trend in communities throughout the nation.
• Nonprofit pickup: Call for an appointment to have a nonprofit organization in your area pickup your tree. Some Boy Scout troops offer a pickup service for a small donation (often $5).
• Yard waste: Cut the tree to fit loosely into your yard waste container.