Recycling Christmas waste

   Howard County makes it easy to recycle most waste left over from the Christmas holiday.  The following is the way to recycle your Christmas tree:

Dates: January 2-January 17, 2014
Days: Sites open 7 days a week*
Hours: Sites open 7:30am to 5:00pm*
(*Landfill hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday-Saturday, closed Sundays)

Remember to remove all tinsel, garland, ornaments, lights, tree stands, plastic bags, etc.

Look for Merry Mulch signs at the following drop-off sites.
Clarksville Kendall Hardware (12260 Route 108)
River Hill Garden Center (12165 Route 108)
Columbia Cedar Lane Park (5081 Cedar Lane)
Grandfather's Garden Center (5320 Phelps Luck Drive)
Elkridge Rockburn Park (5400 Landing Road)
Ellicott City Small Circuit Court parking lot on upper Court House Drive (just past Ellicott Mills Drive, on the right)
Highland Schooley Mill Park (12975 Hall Shop Road)
Marriottsville Alpha Ridge Landfill Wood Waste Area (2350 Marriottsville Road)
Savage Savage Park (8400 Fair Street)
Woodbine Western Regional Park (14800 Carrs Mill Road)

Curbside Tree Recycling - Through January 17th
County residents with curbside yard trim collection can place their tree out for recycling on their normal recycling day. Trees will not be collected on trash collection days in this area before January 17th. Not sure if you receive yard trim service? Call 410-313-6444.

Successful Recycling Pickup Tips:
Set your tree out the night before. Trees are picked up by the yard trim truck as early as 6am or as late as 7pm.Remove all tinsel, garland, ornaments, lights, tree stands, plastic bags, etc. No need to bag, but trees must be cut into less than 4 foot lengths and tied. Bundles must weigh less than 40 pounds.

Recycle holiday lights at MOMS:

Thru - January 31, 2013
MOM’s has teamed up with HolidayLEDs.com for the second year in a row to host a Holiday Lights Recycling Drive. In exchange for old lights, MOM’s customers will receive a coupon for 30% off energy efficient decorative lighting at HolidayLEDs.com.

How It Works
Bring old decorative holiday lights to MOM's before January 31, 2013. Please remove light strings from boxes or packaging to facilitate recycling. Following the recycling drive, MOM's will box and ship old holiday lights to a recycling facility in located Jackson, MI. There, the lights are shredded and processed. The individual components (including pvc, glass and copper) are separated to be recycled into new products.

P.S.
     This news article explains why we don't buy gas in Howard County if we can help it.  We must have gas stations that sell the least gas of anywhere.  I spent 25 cents less a gallon (than the closest station on Cradlerock) just going over the line into Laurel this week.   30 cents less if I had gone to Sam's Club in Laurel.

hocoblogs@@@