You loved it, decorated it and watched it shed its needles. Now it's time to recycle this year's Christmas tree.
Be it a Douglas Fir or a pi-on pine, Carson City's Environmental Health Department wants your Christmas tree. Through Jan. 7, trees can be dropped off at Wal-Mart, 4209 S. Carson St., Super Kmart, 3456 N. Carson St., Carson City Corporate Yard, 3303 Butti Way, or the Carson city Sanitary Landfill, Highway 50 East, turn right on Flint Drive. Trees can also be left curbside and Capital Sanitation will pick them up on regular trash pick-up days. Make sure trees are stripped of all decoration.
The trees will be taken to the landfill and chipped. The wood chips are available free to Carson City residents throughout the year. Last year, about 8,000 trees were collected. For information call the environmental health department at 887-2382.
Douglas County residents can also take advantage of curbside tree recycling. Trees collected will be chipped for use as ground cover and erosion control in county parks.
Curbside tree recycling keeps trees out of area landfills. Last year, the county collected more than 3,000 trees and spread most of the chips at Kahle Park.
Residents of the Carson Valley may leave trees by the curb on their regular garbage collection days between Jan. 7 and 11. South Shore residents' trees will be picked up on the regular collection days from Dec. 31 to Jan. 11. Trees must be stripped of any metal, including stands, ornaments and tinsel. Flocked trees will not be accepted, since flocking gums up the chipping machines.
For information, contact Douglas County Parks and Recreation at 782-9835.