STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) -- With the holiday season almost over, local cities are planning their Christmas tree pickup services.
One of those cities is Stevens Point, who will begin their Christmas tree collection on Monday, January 13th. Mayor Mike Wiza says trees need to be on the curbside by 7 a.m. on the 13th. "As long as you have it to the street by 7 a.m. on the 13th, with the trunk facing the street, we'll come through and have a crew collect those.
"We're only going to go through each area of the city once. So it may not get picked up until the 14th, 15th, or 16th, but if it's not out there when we come by, we're not going to come back and pick it up again."
Once the trees are picked up by city crews, they are brought back to the yard waste collection drop off-site where they are turned into wood chips. Those wood chips are then used by the city for various projects like city parks and contractor outsourcing.
The crews will also take some other organic greenery items away during tree pickup as well. Everything has to be taken off the greenery for it to be taken to the yard waste drop off-site. But the city will take wreaths, poinsettias, and other similar items.
But Mayor Wiza says the city prefers if residents drop off trees themselves at the yard waste site on 6th Avenue. " To make it easier for our city staff because it's not like they have nothing to do. If you are able to bring your tree to the drop-off, we ask that you do that.
"That lessens the workload for the crews that have to go out and pick up the trees. And then it frees them up to be doing other things like clearing streets and sidewalks, and making the city safe."
The recycling and drop-off center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The drop-off is located one block north of the entrance to Bukolt Park, in front of the City Garage, at 100 Sixth Ave.
