DISPOSAL OF CHRISTMAS TREES - Please do not place in Dumpsters

The holiday is over. The gifts have been opened, the toys played with, the guests have departed. It's all over but the shouting and the cleanup. That once-beautiful Christmas tree that you cut down or bought at a lot is looking a little weary. So take off all of the ornaments, the lights, the tinsel every last one. You can recycle that tree as long as it has been completely stripped of all decoration. Don't put it in a plastic bag. Take the tree out of the stand. Then head on over to one of the TreeCycle locations around town. You can part with your old tree knowing you've done your civic duty. The tree will be chipped and turned into mulch.

While you're getting ready to take your tree to a drop-off location, continue the season's spirit by checking with your neighbors. Perhaps they need help getting their trees to a TreeCycle location.

The following sites are open for tree drop-off during daylight hours, seven days a week through Jan. 14, 2019, unless otherwise noted:

•Oro Valley lot, Naranja Park, 810 W. Naranja Drive. Open through Jan. 6.

•Golf Links Sports Park, 2400 S. Craycroft Road. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

•Tucson Rodeo Grounds, east of the Rodeo Grounds on Third Avenue north of Irvington Road (follow th! e signs)

•Los Reales Landfill, 5300 E. Los Reales Road (entrance at Craycroft and Los Reales roads; follow the signs). Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays

•Silverbell site, northeast corner of Silverbell and Goret roads (follow signs)

•PurpleHeart Park, 10050 E. Rita Road

•Randolph Golf Course, 600 S. Alvernon Way, southeast portion of the parking lot •Tank's Speedway Recycling & Landfill Facility, 7301 E. Speedway (go north on Prudence Road from Speedway). 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 7a.m. to 2p.m. Saturdays. Please don't leave trees outside the gate.

While TreeCycle is a service of the city of Tucson, you don't have to be a resident of the city to recycle your tree for free. However, if you live inside the city limits of Tucson, keep in mind that the city will not collect Christmas trees from curbs and alleys.

Also note that other green waste will not be accepted at TreeCycle locations.

You can even reap more than just the warm fuzzy feeling you get from being environmentally conscious. That mulch will be available for free to area residents for garden use (the chips help the soil retain moisture.) If you'd like some chips, take your own container to the Los Reales Landfill from Jan. 2 through Jan. 14. The landfill is open 6a.m. to 5p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The chips are free.