Recycle your Christmas tree and bring it a second life as a gift to the community.

Each holiday season the UNLV Rebel Recycling Program partners with local public and private organizations to reduce holiday landfill waste and to create needed mulch for local parks and public gardens by recycling Christmas trees. From Dec. 26 to Jan.15, Las Vegans are encouraged to drop their trees at one of 21 valley locations.

Las Vegas Valley residents have recycled 111,723 trees since the program started in 2001, creating more than 10,000 tons of mulch. Last Christmas season, more than 15,000 trees were recycled, chipped, and turned into 136 tons of nutrient-rich mulch used for landscaping projects and dust control. Local landfill volume was spared 133 tons - roughly equivalent to the size of nine school buses.

Each year about 200,000 trees are sold in Las Vegas Valley and only 7 percent are recycled.

"Artificial trees are made from fossil fuel and imported from thousands of miles away, requiring more finite resources and ultimately ending up in a landfill," said Tara Pike-Nordstrom, manager of UNLV's Rebel Recycling Program, who is heading up the countywide effort this year. "Fresh-cut trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen as they grow. Then when they are recycled, they are returned to nature as mulch, helping to beautify our local parks and conserve water."

All donated trees will be chipped into rich organic material to be used at public gardens and parks across the valley including the Springs Preserve, City of Henderson parks, Clark County parks and City of North Las Vegas parks. As the mulch decomposes, it will provide many nutrients that plants need to remain healthy and conserve soil moisture.

For just $30, 1-800-GOT-JUNK will come by your home, remove your tree and vacuum up all pine needles. Services run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dec.26 through Jan. 15. Trees will be dropped off at one of the designated recycling drop off points. Customers can call 1-800-468-5865 (1-800-GOT-JUNK) 24 hours a day to schedule a pick up or book their appointment online at www.1800gotjunk.com to receive a $10 on-line booking discount.

Cut Christmas trees may also be dropped off at any of the following locations:

North Las Vegas

• Aviary Park - 6650 Aviary Way & I-215

• Cheyenne Sports Complex - 3500 E. Cheyenne at Pecos

• Craig Ranch Golf Course - 628 W. Craig Road at Commerce

• Seastrand Park - 6330 Camino Eldorado near Centennial Parkway & I-215

Henderson

• Acacia Park - 50 Casa Del Fuego St., I-215 at Gibson

• Anthem Hills Park - 2256 Reunion Drive at Anthem Parkway

• Mission Hills Park - 551 E. Mission Drive at College

• Pecos Legacy Park - 150 Pecos Rd.

• Whitney Ranch Recreation Center - 1575 Galleria Drive, near Russell Rd. & Whitney Ranch Drive

• Morrell Park - 500 Harris St. at Basic Rd.

Las Vegas Springs Preserve

• 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

Clark County

• Desert Breeze Park - 8275 Spring Mountain Rd. at Durango (Behind the Community Center)

• Lone Mt. Park - 4445 N. Jensen near Jensen & Helena

• Sunset Park - 2601 E. Sunset at Eastern

NV Division of Forestry Nursery

• Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs - 9600 Tule Springs Rd., near US-95 N at Durango

UNLV Rebel Recycling Program

• Flamingo & Swenson, SE corner behind 3 solar dishes/UNLV Solar Site

Nellis Air Force Base

• Recycling Center, Building 461

City of Las Vegas

• Bruce Trent Park - 8851 Vegas Drive, Vegas Dr. & Rampart

• Sunny Springs Park - 7620 Golden Talon Ave. near Elkhorn Rd & Farm Rd.

Southern Highlands

• 12200 Southern Highlands Parkway

Summerlin

• RC Willey - 3850 S. Town Center Dr., Town Center & 215

How to prepare your tree for recycling

1. Remove all non-organic materials such as lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, tree stands and any other material that are not part of the tree.

2. Flocked (sprayed with artificial snow) trees cannot be recycled.

3. Trees more than 5 feet tall should be cut in half.

2012 Christmas Tree Recycling Program Partners

The Christmas Tree Recycling program is a partnership throughout the valley between the following organizations: City of Henderson, City of North Las Vegas, City of Las Vegas, Clark County Parks and Recreation, Clear Channel Outdoor, Conservation District of Southern Nevada, Cox Communications, Desert Green, First Choice Tree Service, , Las Vegas Valley Water District, Lunas, Maplethorpe's Christmas Trees, MGM Resorts International , Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, Nevada Division of Forestry, Opportunity Village, PAR 3 Landscape & Maintenance, Inc., RC Willey, Republic Services, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas Springs Preserve, Star Nursery, Summerlin, UNLV Rebel Recycling Program, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Vermeer Sales Southwest, SB Landscaping, Glittering Lights and 1-800-GOT-JUNK.

For more information, contact Tara Pike-Nordstrom at UNLV Rebel Recycling at 702.895.3760 or read about Tree Recycling on the Conservation District of Southern Nevada's site or like Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling on Facebook.