Believe it or not, we're already preparing for our annual Christmas Tree Project! We have been for the past few weeks actually…
Each year after Christmas, we set out to collect the unsold trees from local family farms and tree lots; then spend the first few weeks of the new year transforming them into the pure essential oil that we use in our limited edition Christmas Fir Collection later that year!
We upcycle the Grand, Noble, and White Fir trees we collect, and using steam distillation in our Oakland, CA workshop, turn what would have been waste created by the Christmas Tree industry into the most authentic holiday tree scent available. Can you spot the different hues of essential oil that each tree species produces? We think it's pretty cool.
Our Christmas Fir Collection encapsulates so much of the beauty of the holiday season, and is a representation of the deepest ethos of Juniper Ridge. By diverting these trees from the landfill, we give another life and a beautiful purpose to these living things.
We’ve been doing this for well over 10 years, and are able to transform around 5,000 to 7,000 trees every year – that’s more than 50,000 trees saved from the landfill since we started this project!
... and we expect this year to be a big one, so planning is essential!
How You Can Treecycle Too:
There are initiatives all over the country to ensure that trees get a second life, whether as compost, or to help prevent coastal erosion.
Do a quick Google search to check out what services are available in your local community, or check out the National Christmas Tree Association for more general information on recycling your tree.
A Year Round Effort:
In addition to the holiday tree upcycling we do for our annual Christmas Tree Project, we work all year round with different organizations, from family-owned businesses like our Christmas tree partners, to the forest service and Caltrans. Whether the trees are removed for fire mitigation or a by-product of holiday celebrations, we’re happy to do our part in making sure they aren’t felled in vain.
A Cult Classic:
We’ve been doing this Christmas Tree Project for a while now, and it’s no surprise that the resulting scent has gained a bit of a cult following. Here are two recent shout outs the collection received this holiday season... Don't mind us, we'll just leave these here.
We were named an expert in a Rent. article. Check out the featured article: Holiday Candle Scents to Fill Your Home with Cheer | Rent. | Bay Area Made put together local gift guide that we highly recommend checking out as well: A Gift Guide for Shopping Locally with Intent this Holiday Season, Part 2 | Bay Area Made |