Residents in Eliza­bethtown and Radcliff have an easy solution to getting rid of their live Christmas trees — kick it to the curb.

In Radcliff, the process is the same for regular year-round brush pick up, said Mark Page of the city’s public works department. Residents can place the tree by the road like usual brush disposal and the city will pick it up, he said.

Page said they do ask that residents keep trees separate from leaves.

It’s the same in Elizabethtown. Josh Reed of Elizabethtown public works said city crews will pick up Christmas trees placed on the curb just as they would brush.
Reed said Elizabeth­town residents also can drop trees off at their facility on Waterworks Drive.

Radcliff does not have a drop-off location for trees.

If residents are up for a trip outside of Hardin County, another option is the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, which offers holiday tree recycling.

Bernheim turns the tree into mulch that is used in the arboretum. The collection point is at the turnaround on the left at the front gate throughout January.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources also is accepting natural Christmas trees at more than two dozen drop-off locations across the state for its annual Christmas for the Fishes program through Jan. 15.

Fish and Wildlife staff build habitat structures out of the Christmas trees and submerge them in public waters.

“Every year, we use thousands of donated trees to create fish attractors that provide hotspots of fish activity,” Joseph Zimmerman, habitat program coordinator for the department, said in a news release from the organization. “Depending on the depth and location, these Christmas tree sites attract everything from small baitfish and bluegill to large bass and crappie. Most of these fish attractors are placed in readily accessible lakes located within parks or other public lands that offer opportunities to get outdoors and social distance while helping Kentucky’s fish populations.”

For more information, go to fw.ky.gov.

A recent Lowe’s article provided some tips for tree removal from the home.

The article said not to wait for the tree to dry out before removing it.

“As trees dry out, they become more likely to become fire hazards,” the article said.

The article suggested using a large, plastic tree bag to cover the tree before removing it from the inside of your home. An old blanket or sheet to wrap around the tree would also work. “This will prevent needles and sap from making a mess on your carpet or hardwood floors,” the article stated.

If needles do get on the floor, the article said to sweep them up instead of vacuuming as needles can clog and damage vacuum cleaners.