City Schedules 2 Weeks For Free Christmas Tree Pick-Up

AURORA, IL — Free Christmas tree recycling in Aurora starts next week, officials announced Wednesday. For two weeks starting Jan. 3, residents can place their real trees at the curb to be picked up during regular trash collection.

"Help the environment by making sure your real Christmas tree is reused as mulch and isn’t taken to a landfill," the city wrote in a post on Facebook.

Through Jan. 14, residents won't be required to get stickers in order for their trees to be collected. But stickers will be necessary after Jan. 14 if people want their trees taken.

For proper recycling, trees — which should be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on residents' garbage day — have to be free of plastic bags, decorations and stands. Wreaths and garlands won't be collected because of the wire used to form them, officials said, so if residents want them collected, they will have to get stickers.