It’s apparently not too early to think through your Christmas tree recycling

We’re still a few days away from Christmas, but if you’re thinking about what to do with your Christmas tree next week, we’ve got you covered.

Augusta County residents can recycle their trees beginning on Monday (for the Grinches out there who are particularly eager to move past Christmas) at convenience center sites in Churchville, Verona, Crimora, Sherando and and Mount Sidney.

The Regional Landfill, meanwhile, will accept trees anytime during normal operating hours.

The landfill is open from 8 a.m. until 4:15 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

For hours and more information, visit Water, Trash, and Recycling or the Augusta County Service Authority website.

Over in Albemarle County, residents can drop off trees for recycling at one of seven sites across the county, also beginning on Monday.

(Man, some of y’all can’t wait.)

The available drop off locations are:

• McIntire Recycling Center – 611  McIntire Rd. Charlottesville
• Claudius Crozet Park – 1075 Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet
• Greenwood Community Center– 865 Greenwood Rd. Crozet
• Chris Greene Lake Park– 4460 Chris Greene Lake Rd. Charlottesville
• Darden Towe Park– 1445 Darden Towe Park, Charlottesville
• Scottsville Community Center– 250 Page St. Scottsville
• Walnut Creek Park– 4250 Walnut Creek Park North Garden

In Albemarle County, the trees will be chipped into mulch and offered back to the public at no cost.

The program, launched in 1988, has collected an average of 2,300 trees annually that yield over 110 cubic yards of chips.

In Augusta County, the recycled Christmas trees are used by the Fish and Wildlife Service, or similar organizations like the National Parks Service, in various ways such as helping to prevent erosion or create fish habitats.

If they are not needed, trees are shredded for mulch.

So, good news, on both sides of the Blue Ridge: you can feel good that you are giving a new purpose to your tree after the holidays.