Tossing the trappings of Christmas

Buzz kill: Contrary to the popular lyrics, your Christmas tree leaves are not unchanging. Soon they will be drying and dropping needles all over your floor, if they haven't started already.

But they can live on as nature trail mulch, fish habitat or compost.

CEDAR RAPIDS

- Live trees: The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department is setting up two sites for people to drop off live, unflocked trees, devoid of all decorations.

From today through Jan. 31, they can be dropped off at the Sac and Fox Trailhead parking lot on Bertram Road. These trees will be chipped and volunteers will spread the mulch on the Indian Creek Nature Center's trail system.

The other drop-off site is Prairie Park Fishery, 2125 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. Those trees will be used for fish habitat.

- Live, unflocked trees also can be set out for curbside collection, cut into 3-foot sections no larger than 2 feet in diameter. Do not put them in a plastic bag; they can be placed in Yardy carts, as long as the lid will close. And be sure to remove all ornaments, wires, decorations and stands. Guidelines are posted at Cedar-rapids.org These trees will be added to the Solid Waste Agency's yard waste piles and become compost.

- Artificial and flocked trees - covered in a snowy white spray - are considered garbage. Both kinds must be cut in 3-foot sections, each one marked with a $1.50 garbage sticker. If you can't section off your artificial tree, call the Solid Waste & Recycling Office at (319) 286-5897 to arrange for a special pickup through the Bulky Item Collection Program. Fee is $5, which will be added to your next city utility bill.

- Collection: Because Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Sundays this year, city garbage, recycling and yard waste will run on the usual schedule in Cedar Rapids and Marion.

- Wrapping: Gift wrap cannot be recycled and should be placed in regular garbage containers. Cardboard, however, can be recycled.

- Electronics: Get some new techno gadgetry this year? Take your old electronics to the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency sites at 1954 County Home Rd., Marion, or 2250 A St. SW, Cedar Rapids. Among the items accepted are computer equipment; office equipment, including copiers, cellphones and landline phones, fax machines and calculators; audio/visual equipment, including VCRs, DVD players, stereos, MP3 players and satellite dishes; and gaming systems, like PlayStation, Xbox, Wii and others. Small residential loads are accepted free of charge; bulk charge is 25 cents per pound; and TVs range from $10 or $15 to 25 cents per pound for loads of five TVs/monitors or more. Batteries and bicycles also are accepted at the recycling centers.

- Details: Solidwasteagency.org

IOWA CITY

- Live trees: Pickup begins Jan. 9. They will be taken to the landfill and mulched. Wreaths and garlands with wires and decorations removed also will be collected.

- Wrapping paper: Wrapping paper, cards and envelopes without glitter, metallic or shiny components can be recycled with regular paper; toss or reuse the shiny stuff and tissue paper.

- Boxes: Gift boxes and shipping boxes can be broken down and recycled with cardboard. Foam packing material cannot be recycled, but newspaper or shredded paper used in packing can be recycled.

- Holiday lights: When your lights have lost their twinkle, don't toss them in the trash. Look for the recycling containers at Iowa City and Coralville Hy-Vees and other sites listed at Icgov.org/recycling

- Garbage pickup schedule: No garbage or recycling pickup today and Jan. 2; those routes will be collected Tuesday and Jan. 3.

- Holiday schedules: Icgov.org/winterholiday2016

- Television and computer monitor bans: Beginning Jan. 3, these items are banned from the Iowa City Landfill. They can be recycled at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW, and the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore at the East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE. Fees range from $2 to $15. Details: Icgov.org/wasteproposals

l Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com