'Tree Cycle' and Other Green Post-Holidays Tips

Recycling during the holidays

North Hempstead residents who want to preserve the planet are encouraged to recycle their used Christmas trees and unwanted electronics.

“Tree Cycling benefits the environment and the community,” Supervisor Kaiman said, noting that old trees are turned into mulch for use in gardening and landscaping. “And recycling your electronic waste is a win, win undertaking, freeing up valuable space while keeping damaging materials like lead, mercury and arsenic out of landfills, thus keeping toxins out of our drinking water.”

This holiday season, town officials also recommend that residents switch to energy-saving Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights, which ultimately lowers electric bills.

Residents can get rid of energy-thirsty Christmas lights every Sunday from 7:30am-3:30pm until the end of January at 999 West Shore Road in Roslyn, North Hempstead’s residential drop-off site, and at the Town of North Hempstead Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA) 802 West Shore Rd, Port Washington Monday – Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., excluding holidays.

For more information on "tree cycling," call 311 or visit the town's website.

Those receiving new electronics can recycle their unwanted gadgets through the town. Collected electronic waste is hauled off by the town’s EPA certified e-waste recycler, who disassembles the items, salvages the useable parts, separates out potentially damaging materials, and recycles the balance.

E-waste program

The town takes the e-waste program to every community through its school recycling partnership program. Following are the e-waste collection dates, and drop-off locations available to all residents:

School District             Location                                              Dates

Carle Place                 Rushmore School                                  Jan 8-9

Herricks                     Herricks Community Center                    Jan 10-11

Port Washington         Sousa Elementary School                       Jan 14-15

Manhasset                 Manhasset Middle/High School                 Jan 17-18

New Hyde Park           New Hyde Park Road School                    Jan 22-23

East Williston             Wheatley High School                             Jan 24-25

Great Neck                 Parkwood Parking Lot                             Jan 30-31     

Hours are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

E-waste disposal is available to residents only at the Town of North Hempstead Resident Drop-Off Center, 999 West Shore Rd, Port Roslyn Sunday’s only from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm excluding Holiday’s and newly added drop-off times at the Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA) 802 West Shore Rd, Port Washington, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays.