THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 31, 1994 TAG: 9412310346
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
The end of the holidays often means a lot of trash. Getting rid of decorations, boxes and leftover food is the easy part. But that leaves an important question - what to do with the tree?
A popular solution is recycling. Using that method, said John Elliott, a chief ranger at Seashore State Park, residents can get rid of their trees and help the environment.
Elliott said the Virginia Beach park uses the discarded trees to help build coastal dunes.
Because of the number of used trees the park received last year, many will be used this year in other areas of the park.
``We're using some of the trees to fill in low spots,'' Elliott said. ``The remainder we're going to use in high traffic areas.''
Park volunteers take the used trees from the drop-off site and put them on the park's beach. The project began in the mid-1980s and was designed to prevent erosion during the winter.
Elliott asks owners to clean their trees before dropping them off. Residents can find the drop-off site by following the signs through the park's entrance.
The park will accept trees until mid-January.
``Any leftover will be turned into mulch and we'll use that in our camping areas and around the park buildings and cabins,'' he said.
Recycling was the perfect solution for Gail Clough, manager at Taylor's Do-It Center in Virginia Beach. The store received too many Christmas trees at the beginning of the season and could not sell them all.
Nearly a dozen leftover trees stood behind the store this week.
``Recycling is something they've pushed for a long time,'' Clough said, referring to the store's owners. ``Our store is going to take them to a park this weekend.''
Clough said the store also gives customers tips on how to recycle their trees after Christmas. More people are interested in recycling today, she said.
``Customers want to know what we do with our trees,'' Clough said.
Christmas tree recycling services are also available to Navy housing residents until Jan. 6. The trees will be mulched and then used for base beautification projects. MEMO: CITY- BY-CITY PICKUPS
All tinsel, ornaments and lights must be removed from the trees
before they can recycled or picked up.
For more information on Seashore State Park's program, call 491-5985.
NORFOLK: Trees will be picked up with yard waste on regular trash
days through next week. Residents whose yard waste is not collected can
recycle their trees by taking them to city recycling centers at:
Little Creek Multi-Service Center, 7665 Sewells Point Road, near
Southern Shopping Center, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Government Avenue, near Ocean View Elementary School, Tuesday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
For more information call 441-5813.
VIRGINIA BEACH: Curbside tree pickups begin on Jan. 9. There is no
deadline.
For more information call 430-2450.
Portsmouth: The city won't be recycling trees. Residents can have
their trees picked up with their bulk items on regular days.
For more information call 393-8663.
Chesapeake: Curbside pickup will be available from Jan. 3 through
Jan. 13. There are also recycling sites throughout the city. For more
information, call 547-6420.
Suffolk: Curbside pickup is available on regular trash days. For more
information, call 925-6332. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT, Staff
Gail Clough, manager at Taylor's Do-It Center at Providence Square
shopping center in Virginia Beach, said the store received too many
trees at the beginning of the season and could not sell them all.
Nearly a dozen trees stood behind the store this week.
by CNB