Clark County residents have holiday recycling options

Thousands of Clark County residents who want to dispose of Christmas trees and other holiday items, have several options to choose from. According to a press release, Waste Connections, Inc., will pick up trees during its yard debris collection or regular garbage service available in most parts of the county. Trees taller than 5 feet must be cut into smaller sections no longer than 5 feet, regardless of whether they will be collected with yard debris or garbage. Yard debris customers may put smaller trees into their carts. They also may place a single 5-foot or smaller tree or section of a tree next to their cart for no additional charge. Customers who place more than one section or more than one tree next to the cart will be charged an extra yard debris pickup fee. Customers who do not have yard debris service can put trees next to their garbage containers and pay for an extra 32-gallon collection. Trees collected with garbage will be sent to the landfill. All lights, tinsel, ornaments and other human-made materials must be removed from trees. Flocked and artificial trees cannot be recycled with yard debris. The Boy Scouts of America will be collecting trees in Battle Ground, Camas, Vancouver and Washougal. At 8 a.m. Jan. 7, scouts will pickup trees left in front of homes. The service is free, but a suggested donation of $7 will be accepted. "We encourage people to recycle their Christmas trees, if possible," said Kim Harless, a solid waste operations specialist. "Recycling keeps those natural resources from being lost to the landfill, and the trees will be reused as mulch or fuel." For $5 or less, residents also can dispose of Christmas trees of any size at Triangle Resources, 612 S.E. Union St., Camas, or the Washougal Transfer Station, 4020 S. Grant St. Other types of miscellaneous holiday recycling can be taken to an event on Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Cascade Middle School, 13900 N.E. 18th St., in Vancouver. Clark County residents can drop off block foam, electronics, artificial Christmas trees, strings of lights and metal-frame lawn ornaments. "The holidays often result in hard-to-recycle or bulky waste such as block foam, which takes up a lot of space in garbage cans," Harless said. "This recycling event provides people a great opportunity to deal with these materials responsibly." This Holiday Recycling Event is free and open to all Clark County residents. Proof of residency, such as a driver's license or other identification with an address, may be required. No business waste, household hazardous waste, Freon-containing appliances, tires or scrap metal will be accepted. For more information on holiday recycling, call Clark County Public Health at (360) 397-2121, Ext. 4352 or visit www.recyclingA-Z.com.

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