PRESS RELEASES

CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING PROGRAM EMBARKS ON 13th YEAR

The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) will embark on its 13th year of Christmas tree recycling on December 28, 2004 by providing recycling drop-off sites throughout Houston. This program will last until January 11, 2005. All drop-off sites will be closed on New Year's Day.

Every year, many Houstonians discard thousands of used Christmas trees that could be recycled into useable items. Since the Christmas tree recycling program began, more than 500,000 Christmas trees have been recycled. The City of Houston is encouraging residents to recycle their Christmas trees and give them a new lease on life. The SWMD is requesting that residents remove tinsel, lights, plastic tree stands and plastic water bowls from the trees. The recycled trees will be converted into mulch, which will in turn help save landfill space and help preserve the environment.

Flocked trees will not be accepted for recycling; they will be picked up on the neighborhood's scheduled heavy trash day. Commercial vendor trees will not be accepted.

Living Earth Technology, a leading composting company in Houston, has partnered with the City of Houston to make this a very cost-effective program for the City. Living Earth Technology composts all the Christmas trees at no cost to the City.

Houstonians can recycle their tree at any of the following locations across the city:

Dec. 28, 2004 to Jan. 11, 2005
Closed Jan. 1, 2005

December 28th only, and WED-SUN 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Sunbeam Neighborhood Depository - 5100 Sunbeam
• Lawndale Neighborhood Depository - 9200 Lawndale
• Kirkpatrick Neighborhood Depository - 5565 Kirkpatrick

MON-SAT 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., SUN 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Westpark Consumer Recycling Center - 5900 Westpark
• Memorial Park (Ball Fields 4 and 5) - 7300 Memorial Drive
• T.C. Jester Park - 4200 T.C. Jester West
• Kingwood - Bens View Lane and Bens Branch Drive

Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., SAT 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., closed SUN and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1

• Living Earth Technology - 5625 Crawford Road (closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1)
• CJM Soils Supermarket - 1700 Highway 90A East
• CJM Soils Supermarket - 12202 Cutten Road
• Living Earth Technology - 1503 Industrial Drive (Gessner at Hwy 90, closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1)

Weekends only, SAT 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., SUN 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Harris County Dad's Club Park - Cresent Landing (Between Clear Lake Blvd. and Village Evergreen Trail)
• Centerpoint Energy - 2301 Gears Road

The Solid Waste Management Department provides solid waste services to the citizens of Houston through the collection, disposal and recycling of discarded material in a manner that is safe, efficient, environmentally-sound and cost-effective.

For more information, residents can call 3-1-1.