1/5/2024 | Angela Whitlock, CSRA
 

As the holiday season comes to a close, you are probably wondering what you should do with your holiday tree. 

The Champaign County Forest Preserve District is recycling Christmas trees again this year! You may drop off your tree for recycling at the following locations:

*Homer Lake Forest Preserve, across from the Maple Sugar Grove

*Middle Fork River Preserve, at the operations shop

*Lake of the Woods. Forest Preserve, outside the West Maitenance shop off of Rte. 47 (look for signs)

Note: Please be mindful of freeze and thaw conditions that may result in soft ground near the tree drop off sites. 

You may also take your trees to the Landscape Recycling Center at 1210 E. University Ave. in Urbana for free recycling during January and February. There is no residenty requirement for this service. 

The Cities of Champaign and Urbana also offer Holiday Tree Collection to all residential properties within their limits. For Champaign, residents must place their tree within four feet of the curb by 6:00 a.m. on Monday, January 8th, for collection. In Urbana, Holiday Tree Collection is provided for all residents during the week of January 8-12. Residents must place their tree along the curb (on the parkway) by 5:00 a.m. on your regular U-CYCLE collection day. 

For both tree collection programs, please remove all decorations, stands, metal from the tree, tinsel, plastic tree bags, artificial snow/frost, lights, and any other material that would hinder their ability to be recycled. NO flocked trees are allowed for the Urbana Holiday Tree Collection. 

Urbana also offers light recycling, and you could get paid for them, too! You may take your old holiday lights to Mervis Recycling at 3008 N. Cunningham Ave. in Urbana or Twin City Recycling at 2808 N. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana. 

*information taken from CCFPD Facebook, Champaignil.gov, and ChambanaMoms.com