Another Christmas Day has come and gone. Gifts have been exchanged. Large quantities of food and drink have been consumed. Visiting family members are beginning to head back home. New Year’s Eve plans are being formulated.

But what do you do with the large pine tree in the living room?

“You recycle it,” said Steve Czarnecki, executive director of Colorado Springs Youth Sports.

TreeCycle, an annual effort to reduce tree waste, will be held the first two weekends of January, Czarnecki said. Organized by El Paso County in conjunction with the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Utilities and Colorado Springs Youth Sports, the recycling initiative will accept natural Christmas trees at six locations throughout the county. Rocky Top Resources, located at 1755 E. Las Vegas St. in Colorado Springs, will also accept tree drop-offs until the end of January.

Organizers suggest a minimum donation of $5 per tree, with 100% of donated funds benefitting area youth programs, Czarnecki said.

“It’s great to keep the trees out of the landfill and turn them into useful mulch,” he said. “And it’s for a good cause.”

Christmas trees placed in landfills are potentially harmful to the environment because they produce methane when they decompose or are incinerated, officials said.

When dropping a tree off for recycling, it should essentially be in the same condition as when it was purchased. All ornaments, tinsel and other decorations should be removed.

In Teller County, people can recycle Christmas trees at Woodland Park City Hall, 220 W. South Ave. Residents can drop their trees off in the large Teller County Waste dumpster until mid-January, officials said. Recycling is free of charge.

The following El Paso County drop-off locations will accept trees and donations from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and on Jan. 8-9:

• Baptist Road Trailhead (Baptist Road and Old Denver Highway)
• Falcon Trailhead (South of Woodmen Road and McLaughlin Road)
• Cottonwood Creek Park (Dublin Boulevard and Montarbor Drive)
• UCHealth Park (Barnes Road and Tutt Boulevard)
• Rock Ledge Ranch (Gateway Road and 30th Street)
• Memorial Park (Pikes Peak Avenue and Union Boulevard)

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