Discarded trees belong on the curb

After Christmas, your lovingly decorated live trees become yard waste.

Fairfax County urges people to leave their tree – with lights and ornaments removed – on the curb for pickup.

It’s illegal and also harmful to the environment to dump old trees, as well as other yard waste and trash, in local parks.

All licensed trash collectors in the county are required to collect live Christmas trees less than eight feet tall that have been separately set out at single-family homes and townhouses during the first two weeks of January.

Under normal circumstances, discarded trees are recycled. “However, due to the temporary suspension of requirements prohibiting co-mingling of trash and yard waste,” the county warns, “it is possible your trash collector may not take your tree for recycling and dispose of it as regular trash.”

Residents can also recycle live Christmas trees at the I-66 Transfer Station on West Ox Road in Fairfax and the I-95 Landfill Complex on Furnace Road in Lorton. Click here for more information.

The holidays generate a lot more trash than usual. While some things are recyclable, such as paper plates and paper gift wrap, many items are not.

Keep these items out of your recycle bin: strands of Christmas lights, tinsel, broken bulbs, plastic bags, bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, metallic or foil wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, stockings, and ugly holiday sweaters.