Tree-Cycle and Other Green Holiday Tips

What's better than a white Christmas? Try a green one. That's easy to do for residents of the Town of North Hempstead in order to enjoy an eco-friendly holiday.  

That means applying the three R's – reduce, reuse and recycle – to your celebration, from holiday lights to wrapping paper to unwanted electronics to Christmas trees.  It's a sure way to help save the planet, and save some dollars too.

Christmas trees, for instance, can be recycled into mulch for gardens and landscaping. Wrapping paper can be spared for future gifts or even be incorporated in homemade holiday cards next year. If you're still in the market for holiday lights, think Light Emitting Diode (LED), an energy cost-saver. And by recycling electronics, you'll help protect the environment. 

As Supervisor Jon Kaiman stated, recycling electronic waste frees up "valuable space while keeping damaging materials like lead, mercury and arsenic out of landfills, thus keeping toxins out of our drinking water."

Town officials recommend getting rid of "energy-gulping Christmas lights" on Sundays throughout January, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 999 West Shore Road in Roslyn, North Hempstead's residential drop-off site.

For more information on "Tree-Cycling," call 311 or visit northhempsteadny.gov.

Bring unwanted electronics to either The Wheatley School at 11 Bacon Road on Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21 or at the  on Wednesday, Jan. 26 and Thursday, Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. E-waste disposal is available to residents on Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the drop-off facility at 999 West Shore Rd. in Roslyn.