'Tis the season to get rid of that droopy, dried-out and desolate-looking Christmas tree.
The first week of the new year is prime time to take down holiday decorations, including the expired Christmas twig.
If your tree is real, you'll want to make sure it doesn't end up in the garbage, but chipped for use in compost.
To do that, the Central Okanagan Regional District has designated five drop-off locations where you can discard your tree for free until Jan. 31.
Make sure you've removed all tinsel, decorations and any twine or bags used to transport the tree.
Also make sure the tree is secure when you transport it.
You don't want it flying off into the road.
The drop-offs are:
1. Kelowna's Glenmore Landfill, which is open daily 7:30 am to 4:45 pm.
The maximum is three trees per vehicle for free.
Fees apply if the tree is mixed in with other yard waste.
2. The parking lot off Houghton Road at Ben Lee Park in Rutland.
3. Off the Lequime ring road behind the Capital News Centre in the Lower Mission.
4. The parking lot at Jack Seaton Park at 1950 Camp Road in Lake Country.
5. The Westside Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre on Asquith Road, off Shannon Lake Road, in West Kelowna.
It's open Fridays through Mondays, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Note, the previous drop-off locations at the Cook Road boat launch and at the corner of Rowcliffe Avenue and Richter Street at Central Green are no longer.
There's also the option of debranching and chopping up your Christmas tree and stuffing it in your yard waste bin for curbside pick up.
But that tends to make a mess, take a lot of effort and pick up for yard waste doesn't start up again until March.
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