The city of Danville’s Public Works Department wants to remind residents that natural Christmas trees are easily recyclable with the city composting program. Discarded Christmas trees will be collected when placed curbside with the yard waste collection, which occurs the same day as the normal trash collection.
All trees must be free from plastic bags, ornamental decorations, lights and tinsel before they will be collected. Tree stands also should be removed. No artificial trees will be collected for composting.
Residents may also bring trees to the city’s compost and mulch facility free of charge on Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The facility is located at 101 Airport Road (behind the Danville Regional Airport and beyond the closed landfill).
Some 25 million to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold each year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
Recycling reminder
With all the extra gift boxes associated with the holiday season, residents are encouraged to use the city’s recycling drop-off sites. Cardboard, wrapping paper and tissue paper are among the mixed paper products that can be recycled.
However, citizens should not place bows, ribbons, tissue paper and wrapping paper with contaminates such as glitter, foil and other non-paper items into the mixed paper container at the recycling drop-off sites because these materials hinder the marketability of the mixed paper.
The Public Works Department maintains five recycling drop-off sites:
- Danville Mall (southwest corner)
- Tractor Supply (Kings Fairground Plaza)
- Ballou Park Shopping Center
- South Boston Road/Halifax Road (across from Public Works facility)
- Piney Forest Road (beside the Astoria Hotel)
These sites also collect newspaper, mixed paper, plastic bottles #1 and #2, aluminum cans and glass containers.
For the week after Christmas only, sanitation crews will collect boxes and Christmas wrapping paper and tissue that cannot fit inside trash containers. These items should be placed beside the container. The boxes should be broken down, and the wrapping paper and tissue paper should be bagged. Boxes and bags picked up at curbside are not recycled.
The department also will recycle computers if residents drop them off at the E-recycling center, which is located at the Public Works warehouse building on 998 South Boston Road. Computer monitors, however, are not longer recycled.
The City does not accept the following recyclables:
- Televisions
- Auto Fluids
- Batteries
- Bulbs (fluorescent, incandescent, or tubular)
- Plastic Types 3 - 7
The department provides a curbside recycling service for residents who sign up. The annual cost is $90 for bi-monthly collection service.