LAS VEGAS - December 12, 2008 - From Dec. 26 through Jan. 15, Southern Nevadans can give the gift that keeps on giving by recycling their Christmas tree free of charge at UNLV or one of more than 20 convenient locations across the valley.

Why? Christmas trees are a valuable source of organic material that can be chipped into mulch and used to both beautify public parks and gardens and keep plants healthy by conserving soil moisture.

The Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Committee - a partnership of local government agencies, volunteers, and businesses - has been collecting trees for the past seven years and last year recycled more than 19,000 trees. But, with an estimated 250,000 trees in our community alone, more than 230,000 of them ended up in already crowded landfills.

The process is simple. Before dropping off a tree, all non-organic objects such as lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments and nails must be removed. Foreign objects contaminate the mulch and damage the chipper. Flocked trees cannot be recycled.

The UNLV drop-site is at the Rebel Recycling Program office on the corner of Flamingo Rd. and Swenson St., behind the UNLV Solar Site. For a complete list of drop-sites, and for information on how you can have your tree picked-up, please call (702) 822-7700.