With Christmas around the corner, Long Beach is once again offering a free way to recycle your holiday tree.

Long Beach launches its Holiday Treecycling program in late December through early January each year to help residents dispose of their trees properly and safely — while benefiting the environment.

Each year, according to a Tuesday, Dec. 2, news release, Long Beach recycles around 155 tons of trees into mulch for city landscaping. Besides helping the environment, the Treecycling program also helps prevent fire hazards and illegal dumping, and keeps trees out of landfills, the city said.

Holliday trees can’t be put into your organics bin since they’re too heavy and bulky — so instead, the city asks residents to drop-off their trees at recycling locations.

Holiday treecycling locations this year are:

Bixby Park, First Street at Cherry Avenue.
Cesar E. Chavez Park, Golden Shore Street at Fourth Street.
El Dorado Park, 2760 N. Studebaker Road, at the south parking lot behind the administration Building.
Houghton Park, Myrtle Avenue at Harding Street.
Hudson Park, Hill Street at Webster Avenue.
Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau, 2929 E. Willow St.
Orizaba Park, Orizaba Avenue at 14th Street.
Scherer Park, 49th Street at Del Amo Boulevard.
Stearns Park, 23rd Street at Roycroft Avenue.
Veterans Park, 28th Street at Pine Avenue.
Wardlow Park, Monlaco Road at Rutgers Avenue.
Whaley Park North, Chatwin Avenue at Atherton Street.
Will Rogers Mini Park, East Paoli Way at Third Street.

The program will start the day after Christmas, Dec. 26, and run through Jan. 9. Residents can drop off their trees at any of those locations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.

Trees must be stripped of decorations, removed from tree stands, unwrapped and cut in half if they’re over 12 feet tall to be accepted at recycling locations. Flocked trees will also be accepted.

“To help ease the post-holiday strain on collection services, residents are strongly encouraged to drop off live trees at designated citywide locations,” the city said. “This is the preferred method, ensuring timely and efficient disposal.”

Long Beach will also offer a one-time curbside collection for holiday trees on Saturday, Jan. 10. Trees must be placed at your regular trash collection spot by 9 a.m. on that day to be picked up.