Recycle Christmas Trees, Cooking Oils Jan 6 In Johns Creek

JOHNS CREEK, GA — Residents in Johns Creek are invited to recycle their Christmas tree, fluorescent bulbs, as well as cooking fats, oils and grease by dropping off these items this weekend at the Home Depot/Target parking lot. The city will host this collection drive on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the parking lot at 5950 State Bridge Road.

FOG — fats, oils and grease — and fluorescent lights will be collected from 9 a.m. to noon while trees will be recycled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents are asked to remove electric lights, tinsel and ornaments from the tree, and make sure your tree has not been flocked, or sprayed with fake snow made from artificial materials.

Some retailers use natural, corn-based flocking, which is acceptable at the event. As part of the statewide Bring One for the Chipper program, the recycling effort helps keep trees out of landfills and the mulch can be used for playgrounds, public beautification projects, wildlife habitat and homeowner landscaping projects.

Mulch will be available free to the public upon request by contacting Davey Tree Expert Co. at 770-451-7911 or by filling out the form online.

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) from cooking should not be poured down sinks or drains. They can clog pipes and cause nasty backups in homes and neighborhoods. Fluorescent tubes and curly compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, which lingers in the environment for years. Keep Johns Creek Beautiful has special equipment that destroys the lights and stores the material and gases for recovery later by a certified fluorescent-light recycling firm.

The local event, sponsored by the city of Johns Creek and Keep Johns Creek Beautiful, is part of a statewide recycling effort by Keep Georgia Beautiful and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

For more information, visit Keep Johns Creek Beautiful's website or call 770-551-7766.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images