Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents have plenty of options this year when it comes to finding an ecological end for their festive firs.
Curbside service in the city and drop-off locations in the county make it easy for residents to dispose for their Christmas trees.
Collected trees will be chipped into mulch and given away for free at select locations.
For those living within Charlottesville limits, the city will be collecting trees the week of Jan. 13. Trees need to be left out on the curbside by 7 a.m. Monday. Collection will follow each neighborhood’s weekly trash collection schedule.
Albemarle County will be offering eight drop-off locations open to anyone, not just county residents, until Jan. 19. Those locations are:
McIntire Recycling Center at 611 McIntire Road in CharlottesvilleClaudius Crozet Park at 1075 Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet. Greenwood Community Center at 865 Greenwood Road in Greenwood.Chris Greene Lake Park at 4460 Chris Greene Lake Road in Earlysville.Darden Towe Park at 1445 Darden Towe Park just east of Charlottesville city limits. The Scottsville Community Center at 250 Page St. in Scottsville.Walnut Creek Park at 4250 Walnut Creek Park in North Garden.And Simpson Park at 2410 Simpson Lane in Esmont.
All locations are open daily from 7 a.m. until dark. The county does caution that the McIntire facility gets congested. Those who live nearby should consider Darden Towe as an alternative drop-off location.
"Please remove all decorations, lights, stands, and nails before dropping off trees. And remember, the sites are only accepting discarded Christmas trees, please do not bring yard waste or wreaths," the county said in a statement.
Deposited trees will be chipped into mulch that will be available for pick up, for free, at Darden Towe and Claudius Crozet parks.
The county’s tree collection service, which has been operating since 1988, collects roughly 2,300 trees every year.
City residents with questions can contact the Charlottesville Public Works Department at (434) 970-3830. County residents with questions can contact the Albemarle Parks & Recreation Department at (434) 296-5844.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com