McHenry County residents can recycle their live Christmas trees and old, nonfunctioning holiday lights, some through curbside pick-up and at three locations across the county.
Holiday lights are not accepted in curbside recycling bins and can be recycled year-round through Elgin Recycling in Crystal Lake and at all McHenry County Department of Health electronic recycling events this year, according to a health department news release.
Other places that accept holiday lights for recycling are the communities of Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Cary, Island Lake, Lakewood, Richmond and Spring Grove.
The following locations accept trees for recycling through Jan. 31: Algonquin Township, 3702 Route 14 in Crystal Lake; Dorr Township, 12322 Davis Road in Woodstock; and Huntley Park District, 12201 W. Main St. in Huntley.
Recycled trees are chipped or mulched, which can be used in parks, on trails or available as free mulch to the community, according to the release. Mulching is a responsible use of natural resources as it can be used in landscaping to conserve moisture, reduce weeds and reduce soil erosion.
Waste haulers pick up Christmas trees in January as part of their contracts with local municipalities and county governments, the health department said in the release. Depending on the location and company, some of the trees may be recycled while others will be landfilled.
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