What to do with your old Christmas Tree
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There’s a nostalgic feeling about going as a family to pick out a live Christmas tree. But now that the holiday season is over. You have a tree and maybe even some replaced electronics that are now taking up space. Start the new year off on good terms by gathering up your tree and electronics to be recycled. Whitfield County residents are invited drop off live, natural Christmas trees and used electronic devices for recycling at the community’s annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling event. On Saturday, January 5th, 2019 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees, and electronic devices from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at The Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton. Participants may receive a promo item from the #LiveLitterFree education campaign or a swamp chestnut or dogwood tree seedling.
There is no charge for dropping off live, natural Christmas trees. Trees must be free of ornaments, nails, hooks, wire, tinsel, lights, and other decorations. Only natural, live, real trees will be accepted – no artificial trees please. Trees will be recycled on site into mulch that will be used for beautification projects throughout Whitfield County.
If you are using an artificial tree, consider packing it up and using it for multiple years. To balance out the environmental impact of using an artificial tree as opposed to a real one, you need to reuse the artificial one for 6 to 10 years. If you are planning on getting rid of it, but it is still in good condition consider donating it to Salvation Army or Providence Ministries.
Along with your real Christmas tree, bring down any old electronics you have. The EPA has stated that every one million cell phones contain 772 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold. By bringing your electronics to be recycled, you keep precious metals from being buried in a landfill and keep the supply up. This also helps keep lithium ion batteries, which are present in most electronics, out of the standard waste stream so they can be disposed of properly.
Please note that there is a $10.00 fee for CRT (cathode ray tube) television sets and computer monitors. Cash only please. However, other electronics can be dropped off for free. These devices include computer consoles, digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, gaming systems and components, mp3 players, scanners, flat screens, eBook readers, tablets, and laptops.
Before going to the event secure your load for cleaner and safer roads. Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck, trailer, or on the roof of a vehicle.
If you are unable to attend there are several options available year-round for recycling Christmas trees and electronic devices.
1.) The City of Dalton Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees from the curb for city residents that have garbage collection service through the city. City residents should call 706-278-7077 to request pick-up. Yard debris is regularly picked up throughout the year every other week.
2.) The four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have drop-off areas for yard debris that is recycled year-round. These include the McGaughey Chapel, M. L. King Blvd., Westside, and the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Centers.
3.) Electronics are collected for recycling year-round only at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center. For hours of operation and directions to any of the four Convenience Centers visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.
Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Whitfield County Public Works, and Home Depot join together each year to create this event for residents. For more details about the event visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org.