Welcome to Recycle Your Christmas Tree.

This web site is sponsored by Colorado Recycles. For many years, Colorado Recycles has compiled the only statewide information base for recycling Christmas trees. In recent years, that information was made available to the public and the media as a special posting as part of the Recycling Guide® sponsored by Colorado Recycles on our web site at http://www.colorado-recycles.org/main.html.

With the Christmas holiday season approaching very fast, we have begun to collect information about the various Christmas tree recycling programs that will be available this year.

In addition, we are seeking information about other holiday recycling programs and events that we can share with the public. We will be posting information about cooking oil recycling, holiday wrap, packaging materials or other programs - including community bonfire events - as well as those specific to Christmas trees. We accept and post information about public, private and nonprofit organization events.

Last year, we were able to gather and display information about 103 Christmas tree recycling programs around the state. We want to thank all of the municipal and county officials, nonprofit organization staff members and private citizens who provided information to us.

The web site use has been phenomenal. For the month of November, 2008, we received 11,596 hits, and then in December, 2008, we received 98,620. Rounding out the season in January, 2009 we received another 162,813 hits. The total hits for season was 273,029.

US Marine Corps - Toys for Tots Program

Again this year, Colorado Recycles encourages you to contribute toys or other donations to the US Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. This extremely worthwhile program has left a smile on the face of many a child who otherwise would not have received a Christmas gift. This year, our nation is facing one of the most difficult economic times in modern history, and the need for donations and assistance will be greater than ever. To contribute toys or make donations - or to request toys - please use the following link to the Toys for Tots web site. The web site has a state-by-state guide for participation opportunities:

http://www.toysfortots.org/

Other Donation Opportunities

If you have usable clothing, furniture, electronics, household appliances, please consider donating them to organizations such as Goodwill Industries, the Association for Retarded Citizens, Habitat for Humanity or any of the many, many worthwhile organizations that assist those in financial difficulties, the elderly, those with mental and physical disabilities or other barriers that make life more difficult than it should be.

Cooking Oil

There are 4 communities that have permanent cooking oil recycling and collection programs, please check with them for more information:

City of Loveland Recycling Center
400 N. Wilson Ave.
Loveland, CO 80537
970-962-2529

City and County of Broomfield
Norman Smith Service Center
3001 W. 124th Ave.
Broomfield, CO 80020
303-438-6336

City of Longmont
375 Airport Road
Longmont, CO 80501
303-651-8667

Boulder Area
EcoCycle Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
5030 Old Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80301
303-444-6634

Other communities may provide similar opportunities during the holiday season, and we will post those options as we become aware of them.

Items of Note

Community Information is Posted for:

Adams County
Arapahoe County
Arvada
Aurora
Avon

Boy Scout Troop 69 (Lafayette)
Boy Scout Troop 246 (Colorado Springs - Briargate area)
Boy Scout Troop 484 (Westminster)

Bayfield
Boulder (City)
Breckenridge
Brighton
Broomfield

Castle Rock
Cherry Hills Village
Colorado Springs
Commerce City
Cortez
Crested Butte

Denver
Douglas County
Durango

El Paso County
Englewood
Erie
Estes Park
Evans

Firestone
Fort Collins
Fort Morgan
Fountain
Frederick

Golden
Greeley
Greenwood Village

Highlands Ranch

Ignacio

Jefferson County - Rooney Road Recycling Center

Lafayette
Larimer County
Longmont
Louisville
Loveland

Manitou Springs
Mesa County
Milliken
Monument

Palmer Lake
Parker
Pueblo

South Suburban Park & Recreation District (Arapahoe County, cities of Littlelton, Englewood, Centennial and others)

San Miguel County
Steamboat Springs
Superior

Thornton

Vail

Westminster
Wheat Ridge
Windsor
Woodland Park

*****************
Christmas Light Recycling

We have received several inquiries about recycling old incandescent Christmas lights. While there were some notable light recycling trade-in events, we have come across a program sponsored by HolidayLED's for a mail-in recycling program. For more information, please visit their web site at http://www.holidayleds.com/ and click on the menu selection for Christmas light recycling.

As a special holiday promotion, McGuickin Hardware in Boulder is offering a holiday LED for incandescent light swap. The details and a coupon are available at the McGuckin Hardware web site at http://www.mcguckin.com/. This promotion ends Dec. 19.

********************

Want to Recycle All Those Christmas gift batteries?

Waste Management has developed kits for recycling those pesky household type batteries, we have used the kit and it is great. There are also kits for household fluorescent lights - yes, the ones before CFL's - and other items.

Go to the Waste Management corporate web site and order them online.

http://www.wm.com/