With Christmas in the rearview mirror and New Year’s Day on the horizon, it’s time for many to take down decorations and dispose of the tree.
Lewis County is offering two dropoff locations for disposal, one in Morton and the other in Centralia.
Centralia Dropoff
Residents of the western side of the county can dispose of Christmas trees, lights and styrofoam packaging at the Lewis County Central Transfer Station, which is located at 1411 S. Tower Ave. in Centralia. The dropoff center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Jan. 8.
Volunteers from the WSU Lewis County Master Recycler Composter and Master Gardener programs will be operating the center free of charge but will accept donations toward their community education projects.
Pacific Mobile and the Lewis County Department of Public Works Solid Waste Utility Division sponsored the dropoff.
Trees must be real and not decorated. Flocked or tinseled trees will not be accepted.
Styrofoam from packaging and food items is being accepted. Volunteers ask that the styrofoam be free of tape and labels and be clean, dry and sorted in clear bags by type.
Christmas lights can be disposed of there as well. Additionally, wrapping paper, cards, envelopes and gift boxes can be dropped off in the paper recycling container, but foil paper, tape, ribbons and bows will not be accepted. Corrugated cardboard can be disposed of once flattened in the corrugated cardboard recycling container.
On Jan. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., residents can bring sensitive paper documents for secure disposal. There is a limit of three boxes of documents per person.
Morton Dropoff
For East Lewis County residents, a Christmas tree, holiday lights and wrapping paper recycling dropoff has been set up at the East Lewis County Central Transfer Station at 6745 U.S. Highway 12 in Morton.
The dropoff center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 31. It will resume on Jan. 2 and end again on Jan. 7. Inbound traffic gates at the transfer station close at 4:45 p.m and the station is closed on Sundays.
Unwanted Christmas trees must be free of tinsel and flocking and be real with no decorations. Christmas lights can be put in the scrap metal recycling container.
Additionally, wrapping paper, cards, envelopes and gift boxes can be dropped off in the paper recycling container, but foil paper, tape, ribbons and bows will not be accepted. Corrugated cardboard can also be disposed of once flattened in the corrugated cardboard recycling container.
For more information, contact Lewis County Solid Waste Utility at 360-740-1451 or Jason Adams, WSU Lewis County Master Gardener and Recycler Composter coordinator, at 360-740-1216.
Thurston County Options
All Thurston County residents can take their natural trees to the Waste and Recovery Center at 2420 Hogum Bay Road NE in Lacey through Jan. 15, except for Jan. 1. The center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Customers with other wastes in addition to a tree should expect to make two trips across the scale.
Tenino residents can take their trees to 418 Wichman St. S. from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15.
Rochester residents can take their trees to the Rochester Drop-Box Facility at 16500 Sargent Road SW from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15. The facility is only open on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Sunday, Jan. 1.
Rainier residents can take their trees to the Rainier Drop-Box Facility at 13010 Rainier Acres Road SE from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15. The facility is open Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The facility is closed Sunday, Jan. 1.
If you are a LeMay food/yard waste customer and would like to have your tree picked up, place your tree in or near your yard/food waste cart in sections of 3 feet or less. Extra fees apply for customers not signed up for food and yard waste collection. For more information, call LeMay at 360-923-0111.
