TOMS RIVER – Ocean County residents are being encouraged to make recycling their Christmas trees part of their holiday cleanup.

"For more than 20 years, the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation has collected Christmas trees at a number of our parks throughout the County," said Ocean County Commissioner Virginia E. Haines, who serves as Chairwoman to the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation. "With so many park locations around Ocean County to choose from, it is easy for our residents to access a nearby park where live trees can be dropped off after celebrating the holiday."

Last year, more than 1,400 trees were collected at the Ocean County Park sites, most of which went to the Ocean County Recycling Centers to be grinded into wood chips.

Wood chips are offered to residents, and are used for County landscaping projects or things like slope stabilization at Ocean County Natural Lands sites and trail work throughout the Ocean County Park system.

In the past, the trees also have been used for beach replenishment projects.

"This program not only helps out our residents, but it also allows the County to use the recycled trees for County projects," Haines said.

Christmas trees can be dropped off at the following Ocean County park locations from now through Jan. 31:
• Cattus Island County Park, 1170 Cattus Island Boulevard, Toms River Township
• Cloverdale Farm County Park, 34 Cloverdale Road, Barnegat Township
• Wells Mills County Park, 905 Route 532, Ocean Township
• Ocean County Park, 659 Ocean Avenue, Lakewood Township
• Beaver Dam County Park, 3430 Bridge Avenue, Point Pleasant
• Jakes Branch County Park, 1100 Double Trouble Road, Beachwood
• Mill Creek County Park, 11 Chelsea Avenue, Berkeley Township
• Enos Pond County Park, 330 East Lacey Road, Forked River
• Robert J. Miller Airpark, 901 Route 530, Berkeley Township
• Freedom Fields County Park, 1160 Route 539, Little Egg Harbor Township
• Patriots County Park, 485 Bowman Road, Jackson Township
• Stanley H."Tip" Seaman County Park, 120 Lakeside Drive, Tuckerton
• A. Paul King County Park, 2 W. Bay Avenue, Stafford Township
• Ocean County Golf Course at Atlantis, 261 Country Club Boulevard, Little Egg Harbor Township
• Ocean County Golf Course at Forge Pond, 301 Chambers Bridge Avenue, Brick Township

In addition, Ocean County's two regional Recycling Centers accept Christmas trees year round during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday), as well as glitter-free wrapping paper and clean and dry cardboard boxes.

"Our recycling centers allow for residents to recycle a lot of the festive wrapping paper and boxes that would otherwise get thrown away," said Ocean County Commissioner Barbara Jo Crea, liaison to the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management. "Not only can trees be reused in a new form, but wrapping paper and cardboard boxes can also be reused."

The Ocean County Southern Recycling Center is located at 379 Haywood Road, Manahawkin. The Ocean County Northern Recycling Center is located at 535 Oberlin Ave. South, Lakewood.

"Ocean County makes its recycling programs accessible and convenient so all of our residents have the opportunity to use them," said the Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners John P. Kelly. "Our residents have embraced recycling since it was first implemented in the mid-1980s. It's great to incorporate those efforts into the holiday season and throughout the year."