Justin Powers had a banner year selling Christmas trees, but he always reminds people about how to properly dispose of them after the holidays.
"I tell everybody when I sell a tree they can recycle them,” said Powers, owner of Noble Valley Christmas Trees.
The Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Committee, a partnership of local businesses and community agencies, manages more than 30 drop-off locations in Southern Nevada. The program runs through Jan. 15.
The trees are chipped into mulch and used in public gardens and parks. Nearly 17,000 were recycled in 2019.
“We nearly broke a record last year for donations, and with trees flying off the lots this winter, we’re hopeful it will happen in 2020,” said Tara Pike-Nordstrom, UNLV recycling manager and a member of the committee.
“Recycling your tree is a gift that will give back to the community for years to come,” she said in a statement.
With fewer families traveling for the holidays because of the pandemic, sales of live trees surged this year, according to UNLV.
Powers said he sold 720 trees at his lot outside the Smith's grocery on South Decatur Boulevard, about 100 more than a typical year.
"We pretty much sold every last one of them," he said.
To prepare a tree for recycling, remove all lights, ornaments and tinsel. Trees more than 5 feet tall should be cut in half, and those sprayed with artificial snow are not recyclable.