King County encourages everyone to start the new year on a green note by recycling their Christmas trees, rather than throwing them in the garbage.

Trees – minus the tinsel and other decorations – can be chipped into landscaping material or ground into compost. Diverting trees from the landfill leaves more room for the stuff that really needs to be there.

Here are some tree-recycling options:

Curbside pickup: If you have curbside yard waste collection service, you can place your tree at the curb with your regular yard waste. Restrictions vary, so be sure to check with your garbage hauler for the details.

Private companies: Several companies in King County collect Christmas trees for recycling – at rates that are lower than the transfer station. Visit

http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/documents/Tree-Cycling-flier.pdf.

Fundraising events: A number of community groups sponsor Christmas tree-cycling fundraising events, including scouting troops, churches and others. For a small donation, they will pick up your tree and deliver it to a commercial recycler. Look for neighborhood flyers for recycling events.

For more information, call the King County Solid Waste Division, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 206-477-4466 or toll free, at 1-800-325-6165, ext. 6-4466, TTY Relay: 711 or visit the website at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/index.asp.

The King County Solid Waste Division operates eight transfer stations, two rural drop boxes and the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, and provides environmentally responsible solid waste services to more than 1.3 million residents in King County, excluding Seattle and Milton. Learn more at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/index.asp.