Decorating a Christmas tree and having it up for the holidays is one simple way to spread festive cheer. But once Christmas is over, suddenly, that tree taking up space in your living room looks a little less joyful and more like, well, a burden.

While artificial trees can be stored away until they’re brought out again for next year, the real thing — more than 25 million of which are sold every year in the United States — can’t be saved for the following Christmas season. So, what do you do?

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to dispose of your real Christmas tree.

Have your Christmas tree taken off your hands

A simple way to get your Christmas tree out of your house is to have it picked up curbside for recycling — just make sure to check with your local sanitation provider to learn how pickup works in your area.

In Los Angeles, for example, residents can place their tree next to the recycling bin. The tree will be picked up through the end of January, provided it is not over 6 feet tall, which would require a special scheduled bulk pickup. These trees will be used for mulch, which residents of L.A. can receive for free. You can also chop the tree into small pieces and place it inside the recycling bin, which can be picked up at any time, if you have the tools to do so safely.

One word of warning: To be recycled, trees must be free of any lights, ornaments or other artificial items. This includes sprayed-on fake snow, which makes the trees non-recyclable and headed for the landfill.

If your tree is not eligible for recycling, check with your sanitation department to schedule a bulk trash pickup, or chop your tree into smaller pieces and place it into trash bags before putting it outside with the rest of your garbage.

Go to a Christmas tree disposal event

If you don’t mind hauling your tree, you can check to see if your area has disposal events. Georgia, for example, hosts the “Bring One for the Chipper” event, in which people bring their Christmas trees to be turned into mulch or wood chips for playgrounds. The program has recycled an estimated 5.9 million Christmas trees statewide.

Replant your Christmas tree

Want to save your tree after the season is over? You can actually purchase a living Christmas tree, which you can then replant once the season is over, per Elle. These trees still have their root balls intact and are often sold in pots or balled and burlapped. You will have to do some planning, however: To keep the tree healthy, it should be kept indoors for no more than about 10 days, away from heat, with the roots kept moist.

Once the holidays are over, allow the tree to gradually adjust to outdoor temperatures by placing it somewhere cooler than your living room, such as a garage or shed. After the tree acclimates for a few days, move it outside, provided the temperatures are above freezing.

While it certainly requires a green thumb, with proper soil, mulch and watering, the tree can survive winter and continue growing long after the holidays end.

Toss the tree into your yard

One very simple way to get the tree out of your home, House Digest reports, is to simply toss it in your backyard, where it can be used as shelter for wildlife. The website also states that you can throw in some food, such as dried fruit, to further help your furry or feathered friends during the winter months.

What never to do

It might seem like a cute idea to use your old Christmas tree as wood for your fireplace, but doing so is actually a fire hazard. House Digest reports that the dry branches of the tree can actually explode when lit on fire, leading to sparks that can set your home aflame, or even ignite a fire inside your chimney.