AURORA, ILLINOIS - Help the environment by making sure your real Christmas tree is reused as mulch and isn’t taken to a landfill.

Beginning Monday, January 9, real Christmas trees will be picked up for free during weekly trash and recycling collection. For two weeks - from Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 20 - no sticker is required for collection.

To be properly recycled, trees must be free of plastic bags, all decorations and tree stands, and placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on the normal collection day. After Friday, January 20, trees left at the curb on regular collection day must be stickered in order to be collected.

Due to the wire used to form them, wreaths and garlands will not be collected as recycling and must be stickered as trash.