Christmas tree free drop-off sites

As a reminder, the City of Ann Arbor provides four free drop-off locations at city parks for undecorated Christmas trees, open through Thursday, Jan. 31, 2020. The city does not provide curbside collection of trees.

Drop offs can be made during normal park hours, 6 a.m.–10 p.m., at:
1. Southeast Area Park located on Ellsworth at Platt. Trees may be left at the dirt lot north of the basketball courts.
2. West Park parking lot off Chapin near West Huron Street.
3. Gallup boat launch parking lot, entrance on the southeast side of Geddes Road, East of Huron Parkway.
4. Olson Park parking lot, 1515 Dhu Varren Road, near Pontiac Trail.

All tree stands, nails, ornaments, tinsel and plastic bags must be removed from the trees and properly discarded. Because the collected evergreens are chipped into mulch or composted, any metal, glass or plastic ornaments left on the tree can ruin the processing equipment, harm the operators, and spoil the landscaping mulch. Since wreaths and evergreen roping are generally made with wire or plastic backing, these items should be placed inside trash carts.

After the drop-off sites close Jan. 31, Christmas trees must be cut, bundled and saved until the city’s compost collection service resumes in April.

Post-holiday cleanup

The holidays are winding down, but the debris that results is likely piling up. Be sure to dispose of all of that holiday wrapping paper, packaging, etc. in a safe and “green” way.

For safety’s sake

• Wait a couple of weeks before putting packaging at the curb, especially for big-ticket items, like TVs, game systems, etc.
• Cut up boxes/packaging to help conceal what they once contained.
• Add any new items of value to your complete inventory of household goods and valuables, ideally with a photo or videotape of the items. If you don’t have an inventory list, make a New Year’s resolution to create one.

Stay green!

CTN and Recycle Ann Arbor provide the Holiday Recycle Guide video, packed with holiday environmentally friendly tips, for this year’s celebrations and holidays to come.