MEDIA RELASE

Please help keep our island green by recycling your holiday tree!

Trees ready to be discarded can dropped off at any of the following ten (10) Recycle and Transfer Stations: Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Puako, Honoka‘a, Ka‘auhuhu, Keauhou, Pāhoa, Kea‘au, Waimea and Wai‘ōhinu.

The transfer stations will be accepting trees for recycling through January 17, 2010.

Trees should be free of all decorations, lights, tinsel and ornaments. Please do not drop off artificial or flocked trees.

The County of Hawai‘i’s Department of Environmental Management and Department of Public Works are teaming up to support Treecycling. Public Works will be providing on-site tree chipping at certain locations.

By chipping the trees and making the material available for use in gardens, the County can divert thousands of trees from our landfills and add valuable mulch to island soils. In addition, it will help reduce the illegal dumping of holiday trees.

The County’s Treecycling Program and additional recycling and solid waste programs are available on the website at www.HawaiiZeroWaste.org. For further information, please contact the County Solid Waste Division at 961-8339.