NATCHEZ — Through the combined efforts of Waste Management, Stine Hardware and the Adams County Green Alliance, Christmas tree recycling services will be offered once again this year in Natchez.

Starting Wednesday a large Waste Management bin will be in the parking lot of Stine Hardware, located on 108 U.S. 61 South. The bin will remain outside the store at all times until the fourth week in January.

Steve McNerney, member of the Green Alliance, said the process is extremely beneficial to the environment, while also bringing public attention to the issue of recycling.

“I think whenever we can prevent stuff from getting into our landfills, it’s always good,” McNerney said. “A side benefit is that anything we can do to bring public attention to any kind of rudimental recycling in Natchez is also important.”

McNerney said two years ago the community filled three Waste Management bins containing approximately 1,000 Christmas trees. The trees were then mulched and given to the Watkins Street Cemetery, to be used to help prevent moisture from getting out of the soil and prevent weeds from forming, McNerney said

Another alternative form of disposal for Christmas trees is to submerge them into lakes or bodies of water that are home to fish.

David Carter, Adams County extension service county director, said the trees offer a sort of refuge for smaller fish living in the bodies of water.

“It just provides a habitat for smaller fish because it provides an area for protection that the bigger fish can’t get in, but the smaller ones can,” Carter said. “Over time (the trees) are going to rot and decay, so there’s no long term negative damage.”

Carter recommends grouping multiple trees together or weighing them down to ensure that the trees sink to the bottom of the lake.

Other disposal methods for the area of Natchez are slim to none. According to a Waste Management representative, the regular pickup service does not include yard debris larger than 4 feet in length.