Christmas is over and your holiday tree is no longer the center of family activities, but you don’t have to drag it to the curb to wait for pickup.

Instead, you are invited to Bring One for the Chipper, the state’s annual Christmas tree recycling program.

In Polk County, trees can be dropped off at any of the six convenience centers plus Home Depot in Cedartown.

Polk residents will receive a coupon, which can be exchanged on January 9 for a free crepe myrtle seedling.

“For 20 years, Georgia citizens have enthusiastically supported our Bring One for the Chipper program,” said Commissioner Mike Beauty, Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs. “Many families view the trip to the drop-off center as an annual holiday tradition.”

Your tree can also be recycled by any of the following methods:

Use it as a fish habitat by anchoring it in a large coffee can with concrete and put it into a pond or lake. The concrete weights the tree down with it standing upright on the bottom. These trees are natural fish attractions for Bream and Bass. They offer a safe haven for young fish.

Chip it and use the chips for mulch. If you have a chipper / shredder, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the size of tree you have.

Use it as a wildlife habitat. Prune some of the branches and use them as mulch instead of pine needles around flowerbeds and shrubs.

The trunk with the remaining limbs can be used as a bird nesting station near feeders or birdbaths. Hang suet feeders or birdseed feeders from the branches. Increase thicket areas with your tree. Cardinals especially like thicket areas, and by adding to those areas, you may attract more of them and other birds.

Contact Sharon Coffman at Keep Polk Beautiful for more information.