C O N T E N T S
Put chimney cleaning
on your 'must' list
One key item for your
winter landscape: snow
Logging fireplace time
A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • DECEMBER 2018
By Catherine Jozwik
Special to Waukesha County Home
There are many ways to be
"green" during the holidays, from
purchasing eco-friendly holiday
decorations and fair-trade items,
to using paper grocery store bags
for gift-wrapping.
Buying an actual Christmas tree
has many environmental benefits,
according to the Wisconsin Christ-
mas Tree Producers Association
website, christmastrees-wi.org.
For each Christmas tree that is
cut down, two or three are typical-
ly planted in its place. Trees create
oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide,
which helps reduce global warm-
ing.
Wisconsin Christmas tree farms,
many of them family-owned and
operated, attract a variety of
wildlife, including deer, rabbits,
coyotes, bears and even elk.
Unlike artificial trees, which are
made of petroleum, actual Christ-
mas trees can be recycled, said
Jason Applekamp, whose father,
Vern Applekamp, has owned
Grandpa Vern's Christmas Trees,
which is operated out of the lot at
3804 S. 27th St., Milwaukee.
"You can recycle a real tree for
mulch. A plastic tree just sits in a
landfill," Jason Applekamp said.
Some municipalities and coun-
ties, among them Milwaukee
County, will pick up Christmas
This season, think
eco-friendly gifts
and holiday décor
Photo submitted by Sara Allison
Home décor items made from bicycle chains are among the eco-
friendly gifts at Plowshare Fair Trade Marketplace in Waukesha.
Discarded Christmas trees
can be for the birds
See ECO-FRIENDLY/Page 2
