With Christmas over, it will soon be time to take down your tree and lights.
Both can be recycled, say the Town of Osoyoos and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS).
You should not throw them in the garbage.
As in past years, the town has set up two locations where people can drop of trees so that they can be turned into wood chips.
These are next to the washroom at Kinsmen Park, on the boulevard, in the town’s east end and the northwest corner of the parking lot at the Sun Bowl Arena under the sign.
Trees are accepted until Jan. 12. No artificial trees are accepted and trees should be free of tinsel, fake snow, ornaments and lighting.
In the RDOS, all landfill sites will also accept natural trees.
The town’s tree chipping program has been running for a number of years and chips are used as compost.
Christmas lights can be recycled at the Osoyoos Bottle Depot year round.
Lamps, light strings, flashlights and any other type of light bulb can also be accepted. The metal wire can be recovered. The town suggests that after recycling old incandescent Christmas lights that residents should consider replacing them with LED light strings.
These last 10 times longer, use up to 90 per cent less power and reduce the risk of fire.
Burning of trees in town is not permitted. The RDOS recommends against burning Christmas trees because they create strong smoke due to the moisture in the wood and needles. Fine particulates from smoke have been linked to respiratory and heart diseases.
For information about the tree chipping program in Osoyoos, call the Public Works Department at 250-495-6213. In the RDOS, call the Solid Waste Department at 250-490-4129 or toll free at 1-877-610-3737 ext. 4129.
For information about light recycling, visit www.lightrecycle.ca.
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Osoyoos Times
