HispanicBusiness

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a holiday tradition! Once again the County of Los Angeles will carry away old Christmas trees of residents in the unincorporated areas of the County, and turn them into compost, mulch, and ground cover. Following Christmas, the County will offer residents a free recycling service when they place their trees at curbside between December 27, 2004, and January 15, 2005.

Over 375,000 trees were recycled last year as part of the program. "This program gets more successful every year," said Robert C. Barker, Senior Civil Engineer at the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. "People really seem to appreciate the convenience of the program and knowing that their Christmas trees will contribute good things to the environment."

To take advantage of regular trash pickup days between December 27, 2004, and January 15, 2005, residents should place their trees at the curb along with their other recyclables. Residents are asked to remove all items from the tree, including decorations, tree stands, water containers, and the bulk of tinsel. If the last pickup day is missed, residents can still recycle their trees by chopping them into small pieces and placing the pieces in their green waste container.

County residents can get more information about Christmas tree recycling and other waste reduction programs by calling the County's toll-free hotline at 1-888-CLEAN-LA or visiting http://www.888cleanla.com/. County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works

Web site: http://www.888cleanla.com/