How to recycle former Christmas trees

With the end of the holidays comes that nagging question of what to do with all the decorations.

Fortunately, Carson Valley residents have plenty of help dealing with one symbol of the season, the Christmas tree.

Old trees may be dropped off or picked up as part of Douglas County Parks & Recreation Department's Christmas tree recycling program.

Trees may be dropped off at the following collection sites: Lampe Park in Gardnerville, Johnson Lane Park on Stephanie Way, Topaz Ranch Estates Park on Carter Way, Aspen Park on Muir Drive in the Gardnerville Ranchos, the Douglas County Fairgrounds off Pinenut Road, and in the upper parking lot of Zephyr Cove Park on Warrior Way.

Christmas trees may also be placed next to trash cans and picked up curbside by Douglas Disposal during normal pickup days on Jan. 4-8.

Residents who do not have trash pickup may put their trees out with neighbors who do. Trees more than 5 feet tall should be cut in half. Furthermore, to protect workers and equipment, tinsel, lights, nails and tree stands must be removed from trees, and flocked trees cannot be accepted.

"Basically, there can be nothing on the tree at all," said Douglas Disposal Route Supervisor Boomer Schultz. "Remember, we're sending the trees through the chipper."

Schultz estimated 20-25 percent of approximately 9,000 residential customers take advantage of the tree recycling program, meaning Douglas Disposal picks up about 1,800 to 2,250 trees during the said week.

"Basically, we have one truck run each day of the week just for trees," he said. "The Johnson Lane and Stephanie area, which we do on Tuesday, takes about a load and a half."

Schultz estimated one company truck carries about 40 cubic yards.

"We'll probably have three guys doing nothing but trees on Tuesday. We haul quite a bit," he said. "It's a free service for our residential customers."

He said the weeklong pickup usually runs smoothly, though occasionally his workers will find trees too big or trees with some kind of material still on them.

"Usually, people are pretty good about it," he said. "We hand out our fliers for the food drive and always have our Christmas tree recycling information."

Douglas Disposal may also find a few trees put out later in the month, Schulz said. Unfortunately, these trees are tossed.

"Maybe two to three weeks later, some trees will show up, and we'll have to take them with the trash," he said. "We're only able to run the extra trucks and guys for one week."

According to the county, the many trees picked up during the week are chipped and recycled as mulch. For more information, call Douglas County Parks & Recreation at 782-9835 or 782-9828.

Gardnerville and Minden proper also have tree recycling programs. The Town of Minden will pick up trees curbside early Jan. 5. The town delivers the trees to Bently Agrowdynamics, which recycles them.

Like Douglas Disposal, the Town of Gardnerville will pick up trees curbside on regular trash days Jan. 4-8. Gardnerville takes the trees to the county's chipper.