By Bruce Karnick

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If you are a real Christmas tree fan, you will also be a fan of what is scheduled for January 3 through 14. You will have two weeks where Tennis Sanitation will pick up your real tree, at the curb, for no charge.

The process is simple. Remove all decorations, including light strings. If you use a bag to minimize the mess while removing the tree from your home, you must remove the bag before you place the tree at the curb. Bags and light strings can get tangles in the truck’s grabbers during the pick up process and can get wrapped up in the processing equipment at the recovery facility.

Along with the tree needing to be clear of decorations and plastic bags, any tree longer than six feet needs to be cut in half. Four-foot sections are ideal. Do not cut the tree unless it is over six feet long.

Finally, placement to help the drivers can be a big help. Keep the tree several feet from any possible obstructions. This includes mailboxes and your carts. This is a reminder that carts should be at least three feet away from each other and other objects. If you have extra bags, keep them separate from the carts too. Another key part of the placement of the tree is placing the trunk to the street and the top toward the house.