‘Tis the season to recycle your Christmas trees
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
The Sanitation Department
is hauling away Christmas
trees as part of its annual
curbside collection.
Starting Jan. 2, the New
York City Department of
Sanitation began collecting
clean, non-bagged Christmas
trees throughout the borough.
The collection will take
place until Jan. 12, weather
permitting.
Residents are reminded to
remove all stands, ornaments,
lights and tinsel before
putting the trees to the curb.
The collected trees will be
chipped, mixed with leaves,
and recycled into compost for
the city’s parks, institutions
and community gardens.
“While Christmas trees
are in our homes for only a
short period of time, recycling
can give them a longer life,”
said Sanitation Commissioner
Kathryn Garcia. “After
collection, the trees are turned
into compost to give life to
plants in our city’s parks and
community gardens. We thank
all residents for taking part in
Photo via Pixabay
the program.”
The city’s Parks
Department is also holding
its Mulchfest event as another
option to tree recycling.
From Jan. 4 to Jan. 13,
residents can come to one
of 68 sites to drop off their
Christmas tree so it can be
made into mulch. Residents are
again reminded to remove all
lights, ornaments, decorations
and netting from trees before
dropping them off.
On the last weekend of
Mulchfest, residents can come
to one of 31 drop-off sites and
bring home a bag of mulch for
their homes.
“We encourage New
Yorkers to bid their tree “firwell”
at Mulchfest, making
it a part of their Holiday
tradition,” said Parks
Commissioner Mitchell J.
Silver. “By making greening
a family activity, we all
can help reduce waste, and
protect and nourish other
trees and plants across the
city year-round.”
For more information on
Christmas tree collection and
recycling or MulchFest, visit
www.nyc.gov/dsny, www.nyc.
gov/parks or call 311.
Those who are looking to
get rid of plastic or metal fake
trees are encouraged to sell or
donate their trees.
Donation opportunities
may be found at nyc.gov/
donate. However, if this is
not an option, the Sanitation
Department recommends
removing all ornaments and
lights, and put them out next
to your recycling on regular
recycling days.
Braunstein hosts eighth annual gift drive
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Queens assemblyman
and his constituents once
again made the holidays
brighter for children and
veterans in District 26.
State Assemblyman Ed
Braunstein wrapped up the
season of giving during his
8th Annual Holiday Gift
Drive for veterans and needy
and hospitalized children.
From the end of November
to Dec. 17, Braunstein’s
office accepted donations
of toys, clothing items,
candy and toiletries to be
distributed to several local
organizations.
“I was overwhelmed by
the amazing generosity of
my constituents, who helped
bring holiday cheer to those
in need,” said Braunstein.
“I would like to express
my sincere appreciation
and gratitude to our
community and our schools
for continuing to make these
gift drives such a success.
Since we received so many
donations, we were able to
bring smiles to the faces of
State Assemblyman Ed Braunstein is pictured distributing toys to children at St. Mary’s Hospital for
Children. Courtesy of Braunstein’s offi ce
thousands of needy children,
as well as hundreds of
hospitalized veterans this
holiday season.”
Braunstein also extended his
thanks to Community Board 11
and Dr. William M. Duke “for
their continuous support for
our Holiday Gift Drive.”
The assemblyman
reported that they were
able to donate thousands of
children’s toys and hundreds
of items for veterans thanks
to the generosity from 16
area schools, numerous civic
and senior organizations
and several hundred local
residents.
Nearly a dozen
organizations received toys
from the drive, including
4 Kids in Need drive for
homeless families, QNS
Toy Drive for St. Paul the
Apostle Church, QSAC Day
School of Whitestone, QSAC
Preschool & Early Childhood
Center of Douglaston,
Ronald McDonald House,
Sacred Heart Church Toy
Drive, St. Mary’s Hospital
for Children, Transition
Domestic Violence Center
and the United States Army.
Braunstein was joined
by his staff and students
volunteers from Benjamin
N. Cardozo High School in
Bayside to hand-deliver gifts
for the Veterans’ Gift Drive.
The group visited veterans
at St. Albans VA Community
Living Center and the New
York State Veterans Home at
St. Albans.
12 TIMESLEDGER, JAN. 4-10, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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