WHITE TOWNSHIP [January 5, 2004] – Do your part by recycling your Christmas tree, and keeping it out of the landfill, thus preserving disposal capacity.

The Warren County Pollution Control Financing Authority will recycle your used Christmas tree free of charge.

Bring your trees to the Convenience Center located at the Warren County District Landfill located at 500 Mt. Pisgah Avenue, Oxford, NJ from January 2nd through February 28th, 2004, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm and Saturday, 7:00 am to 11:00 am.

Check with your municipality to see if trees are picked up and if there is any charge.

All stands, lights, decorations, and tinsel must be removed because real Christmas trees go through wood chipping machines and anything else on the tree can jam the machine.

Artificial Christmas trees can not be recycled. They must go out with the garbage. Wreaths, whether they are real or artificial, must go out in the garbage. Since wreaths are held together with wire and plastic, they can not go through a wood-chipping machine like a real Christmas tree.

Recycling Christmas trees helps to preserve dwindling landfill space. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there were roughly 14,000 landfills in the U.S. in 1978; today it is estimated there are approximately only 1,500 still in operation.

The problem is not due to a lack of available space, but rather a lack of public acceptance needed to site new disposal facilities, commonly known as the "NIMBY" syndrome (Not In My Back Yard).

For further information, call (908) 453-2174.

Victor Camporine
Warren County District Recycling Coordinator
Lopatcong Township Council President