‘Tis the time to undeck the halls, de-string the lights, and then take off the baubles and ornaments from the Christmas tree.
If you have a real tree, residents of the City of Vernon, District of Coldstream, and B.X. are encouraged to recycle their fresh trees, free of charge, through the Christmas tree disposal program until Jan. 18, 2021.
Trees can be dropped off at the St. John’s Ambulance lot (vacant lot at the northeast corner of 47th Avenue and 20th Street).
To help ensure your tree is chipped and recycled properly, please remember:
Remove lights, decorations, and tree stands beforehand;
- Other yard waste, commercial trees, artificial trees, trees with flocking/tinsel/spray foam, or general garbage or wastes will not be accepted at the drop-off site; and
- Christmas trees can also be taken to the Greater Vernon Diversion & Disposal facility free of charge until the end of January 2021.
Once collected, trees are chipped and used to create composting material called RDNO-Gro.
Christmas trees will not be picked up with your residential waste and will not be accepted in the community food compost collection bins.
Residents should transport all other yard waste directly to the Diversion & Disposal facility. The community food compost collection bins only accept household food scraps (including vegetable, fruit, meat, and bone scraps), and do not accept commercial materials, any kind of metal, plastic, glass, styrofoam, or pet waste.
Alternatively, you may also leave your Christmas tree in your backyard garden as a wildlife habitat. Leaving the tree can provide habitat for small critters and birds during winter months, especially on cold nights and during winter storms.
By spring, the tree will lose most of its needles and can be cut into smaller pieces to be included with yard waste or allowed to compost. This could help provide valuable organic materials for your garden.
For additional details and more information, please visit the city’s website, www.vernon.ca, or call 250-549-6757.
READ MORE: Holiday recycling tips
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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