Now that Christmas is over for most of us, it's time to get rid of those Christmas trees. Experts suggest recycling them instead of throwing them away, and one county recycling center is doing just that.
"We average about 150 to 200 trees every year. People really seem to want this program," said Mary VanPatten, the Wayne County Recycling Coordinator.
For the past 12 years, residents of Wayne County are asked to bring their trees, stripped of lights, ornaments and tinsel, to the center near Honesdale. The trees are then chipped and put back into the woods.
The program is made possible by the recycling center's neighbor, Marshall Machinery, Inc. Company officials donate a chipper to the county to use every year.
"(Otherwise) you'd just have a big pile of trees. It would take years and years for it to break down," said Matt Coar from Marshall Machinery. "This particular chipper we're using here, if you were to buy one, would be more than $30,000," he added.
Residents must bring in the Christmas trees themselves, but there's no charge for the program. They can drop off trees Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.