By Megan Alley
Sun staff
Christmas is over, and county and local officials are encouraging residents to recycle their Christmas trees, gift wrap and cardboard boxes.
By recycling, or “treecylcing,” trees, which must be free of all decorations and tinsel, are composted or turned into useful mulch, and kept out of the landfill.
“If they dispose of it with their curbside pickup, it will end up in the landfill and won’t decompose for many years,” Hannah Lubbers, Project Manager for the Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality and Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District. “But, if they take it to a recycling center, it will be chipped and mulched, and all of the nutrients in the tree will get a second life and be able support growth of other plants, or can be used to mulch hiking trails.”
Residents who have a pond or lake can also use their trees to provide fish habitat, and for beachfront erosion or shoreline stabilization projects.
“As long as they remove the tinsel and ornaments and hooks and everything like that, individual property owners, if they have a lake, they could drop the whole tree in their pond or lake,” Lubbers said, noting that trees could also be a source of nutrients, so property owners with an algae problem should use caution.
Residents can also remove tree limbs, shake the needles off and use the tree to mulch themselves. They can also use the trees for firewood, though it may take a while for them to dry out.
The OEQ has gathered information on how to responsibly dispose of live Christmas trees, which must be free of all decorations and tinsel, in the county. The sites are:
· The village of Amelia: Curbside pick-up is available on Mondays during regular yard waste pick-up.
The city of Loveland: Residents can call 513-707-1442 for curbside tree pick-up on Wednesdays from Jan. 2 to Jan. 13, 2017.
· Miami Township: Residents can take Christmas trees to either Paxton Ramsey Park, located at 6265 Price Road, or Miami Meadows, located at 1546 state Route 131, for chipping. Trees can be dropped off seven days a week during daylight hours from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31, 2017. For more information, call 513-248-3728.
· The city of Milford: Christmas tree collection will be held every Wednesday in Jan. 31, 2017. Please place the tree at the curb. For more information, call 513-831-7018.
· Pierce Township: Residents can take trees to the Pierce Township Hall, located at 950 Locust Corner Road, after Christmas through Jan. 13, 2017. There will be dumpsters at the drop-off area located in the south corner of the ball field parking lot next to the fire department.
· Clermont County Park District, Pattison Park: County residents can drop off trees lakeside at Pattison Park, located at 2228 US Highway 50, from Dec. 26, 2016 to Jan. 13, 2017.
· Union Township: Residents can drop off trees behind the Police Department, located at 4312 Glen Este-Withamsville Road. The drop-off days are Jan. 1 through Jan. 31, 2017. The drop-off area will be clearly marked. For more information, please contact the Service Department at 513-753-2221.
Residents can also recycle their used wrapping paper and cardboard boxes.
“There are 35 drop offs throughout the county where they can drop off cardboard and wrapping paper,” Lubbers said, adding, “They might need to be mindful of when the dumpsters are full, and to come back after they’ve been emptied because this is a really busy time of year.”
The recycling locations are listed at www.oeq.net.
“We get increased usage every year, so recycling remains to be popular,” Lubbers said, adding, “A problem we’re facing now is getting contaminants in the recycling bin, so we have information about what you can recycle.”
She noted that ribbons and Styrofoam are not recyclable.
“The only type of plastic we collect are the bottles where the openings are smaller than the container,” Lubbers explained. “That would not include things like yogurt containers or cottage cheese containers.”