Post-Christmas recycling tips

‘Treecycle’ your real Christmas tree

Carlton County residents are encouraged to recycle their fresh-cut Christmas trees during Treecycling, a free program with drop-off locations throughout the region. Christmas trees, like yard waste, are banned from landfills in Minnesota. Dispose of your trees properly by bringing them to a conveniently located Treecycling site.

Please remove all ornaments, lights, tree stands and tree bags before bringing trees to one of the following Treecycling locations.

SAPPI Fine Paper

(Gatehouse Entrance)

East End Ave. B, Cloquet

Dec. 22 - Jan. 14

Moose Lake Compost Site

(Across from City garage)

Moose Lake

Dec. 22 - Jan. 14

WLSSD Yard Waste Compost Site

2626 Courtland Street, Duluth

Dec. 21 - Jan. 31, Daily 7 AM – 5 PM

WLSSD Materials Recovery Center

4587 Ridgeview Road, Duluth

Tues–Sat: 9 AM – 4 PM

Dec. 26 - Jan. 31

Area residents with questions about the program may call Karola Dalen, Carlton County Resource and Recycling Coordinator at 218-384-9178 or email at [email protected]. Dalen offered thanks to the city of Moose Lake, Cloquet Sanitary Service, SAPPI Fine Paper and WLSSD.

Recycle lights, not wrapping paper

Don’t throw your old unworking strings of holiday lights in the trash – recycle them!

The collection and recycling of holiday lights is offered at the Carlton County Transfer Station located on Highway 210. The program provides FREE holiday lights recycling and are accepted year-round. Electric cords are also accepted.

The winter hours for the Carlton County Transfer Station are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For efficient recycling, remove all decorations from your string lights. Remove them from any type of plastic spool, cardboard packaging, or plastic bags. Place the clean string lights in the box at the Transfer Station. Rope lights are acceptable.

Acceptable electric cords include extension cords, appliance cords, and telephone cords. The material will be chopped up at a recycling facility where the recyclable material will be separated into material types. The most valuable material is the copper metal inside the plastic pvc coating.

Wrapping paper is not recyclable because it has waxy coatings, incks and metallic decorations that make it difficult to recycle.

When your leftovers get old

Don’t throw your Christmas dinner leftovers away, compost them.

For those who don’t compost at home, there is a food waste drop site at the Carlton County Transfer station. Food waste should be collected in a compostable bag (available free from the cashier)

The Carlton County Transfer Station offers solid waste disposal and recycling services to Carlton County residents. Disposal services available for a fee include household garbage and construction/demolition material. Recycling services for a fee include mattresses, brush, tires, electronics, appliances, and scrap metal. Recycling services for free include household recyclables, food waste, grass and yard clippings, oil and oil filters, antifreeze, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and medical sharps. The household hazardous waste facility is closed for the season and will re-open May 7, 2019.

Area residents with questions about the Transfer Station can call the Zoning and Environmental Services Office at 218-384-9176. For more information visit http://co.carlton.mn.us/559/Recycling-Solid-Waste.