LANCASTER : City Will Recycle Christmas Trees

The city of Lancaster is sponsoring a Christmas tree recycling program to help the city adhere to state regulations that require less waste going into landfills.

The city has arranged with Waste Management of Lancaster and A. V. Rubbish to collect cut trees after the holidays during regularly scheduled trash pickups. They will be shredded and mixed with leaves to make a mulch, which will later be given free to the public at the Lancaster landfill.

Those who wish to dispose of live trees may donate them to the Lancaster Parks Department for planting in one of its parks. Donors will be eligible for a tax deduction for contributing to a nonprofit organization, a city spokesman said Wednesday.

The following trees will be accepted for planting: giant sequoia, Eldarica pine, Italian stone pine, Aleppo pine, Mondell pine, Japanese black pine, Austrian black pine, Colorado blue spruce and Scotch pine. The Monterey pine will not survive the local climate and will not be accepted.