FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
from the city of St. Petersburg

Contact: Christmas tree pick up, 893 7334; or Brush site/mulch, 893 7398

CITY ENCOURAGES RECYCLING TREES INTO
YULETIDE MULCH

St. Petersburg, Fla. (December 21, 2007) -- St. Petersburg residents can find a second use for their Christmas tree by allowing the city to recycle the trees into decorative "Yuletide" mulch. The mulch is free for residents to pick up and is also used by the city to landscape city parks, golf courses and other facilities. St. Petersburg Sanitation crews will provide on-site pick up of discarded Christmas trees in the neighborhoods starting Wednesday, January 9, 2008.

WHERE TO DROP OFF YOUR TREE
St. Petersburg residents who want to dispose of your tree immediately are encouraged to drop it off at any one of the city’s five brush sites. Please remove the tree stand and all decorations and lights before discarding the tree and if a plastic tree bag is used when transporting tree, it should be removed and placed in the bin provided for tree bags.

Brush Site Hours & Locations:
Monday thru Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Christmas day)

1000 62nd Avenue NE 4015 Dr. ML King Jr. St. South (9th St.)
7750 26th Avenue North 2453 20th Avenue North
2500 26th Avenue South

The trees are ground into a sweet smelling mulch which is mixed with standard mulch and is available free at each brush site (you need to bring your own tools and containers).

For those not able to drop off the Christmas trees you can take advantage of the free pick up:

* RESIDENTIAL HOUSES: place tree no closer than 3 feet beside their garbage container in the usual location (curb or alley).

* LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES Place the trees in a central location. When trees accumulate, apartment managers should call Commercial Sanitation at 893 7351 and a crew will be sent for pick up.

* SMALLER APARTMENT COMPLEXES Place trees beside or behind the large metal dumpsters and they will be picked up on regular collection days.

AGAIN, SANITATION REMINDS YOU WHEN DISPOSING OF THE TREES TO PLEASE REMOVE THE TREE STAND AND ALL DECORATIONS, LIGHTS AND PLASTIC DISPOSAL BAG.

For further information, or if your tree has not been picked up by January 22, 2008, please call:
CHRISTMAS TREE PICK UP: 893-7334
BRUSH SITE/MULCH: 893-7398