Environment

Recycling Trash into Christmas Trees

by Barbara Mathieson | December 5, 2008 at 07:14 am

844 views | 40 Recommendations | 9 comments

The image of a Christmas tree made from plastic bottles by the Marines in Iraq three years ago still stays with me. The Marines stacked plastic bottles in a tree shape and added lights for a beautiful tree.

Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan took the photo of Staff Sgt. William Lee, the utilities chief with Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 28, standing next to the plastic bottle Christmas tree the Marines of MTACS-28 built at Al Asad, Iraq, on Dec. 16, 2005.

I was awed that they could take the time during war to build such a beautiful tree from plastic bottles.

I saw a video today which included a tree decorated with stars made from aluminum cans. The tops were removed from the cans and the sides were cut to make rays from the bottom of the can. These were used in an outside display.

If you have collected lots of beverage cans, stack them into a tree shape. I did this once when I was young just to decorate my sparse apartment. It was my attempt at early trash art, but I could have used it as a Christmas tree.

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Amy Judd

at 08:28 on December 5th, 2008

what a fantastic idea!

Jordan Yerman

at 08:29 on December 5th, 2008

You can also use beer cans.

Paschen

at 08:43 on December 5th, 2008

That is a good Idea in deed. However, would it not even be better not to have all those plastic bottles around?

And one more question pops to mind, what will be done with all the plastic bottles once Christmas is over and the Trees dismantled? Will they end up on the land Fields? The Aluminum Star and Ornaments may be a better way since most reuse those in following Years. Tank you for the post, Good Ideas.

sara star

at 10:11 on December 5th, 2008

Good point Paschen, hopefully they are recycleable.

pattydawn

at 10:47 on December 5th, 2008

Is it really necessary to always find something negative just to get in a plug for the environment?

I think it goes reduce, reuse, recycle. They're at least doing one of those.

Milieunet

at 08:58 on December 5th, 2008

Yep, i also like some of those special trees.

This one is made with beerbottles:

http://www.stichtingmilieunet.nl/andersbekekenblog/?p=1013

Golfballs: http://www.stichtingmilieunet.nl/andersbekekenblog/?p=1351

Pythiian1

at 09:13 on December 5th, 2008

Great story - thanks

jezzabell13

at 02:07 on December 10th, 2008

I made those trees using recycled yarn (from old sweater and unused, forgotten, brought from the charity shop mohair), they will make my tree looking cozy, I never wanted this yarn for anything else because I do not find the color wearable ;)

jezzabell13 has contributed a photo to this story.