Did you know that McHenry County harvests more Christmas trees than any other county in Illinois?

 They are also recyclable.  McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) encourages residents to take advantage of residential Christmas tree drop-off recycling programs in the county at no cost to residents.  Dropped-off trees are sent through a wood chipper to create a material suitable for mulching to be used at parks and recreational sites around the county.

"Mulching is a responsible use of our natural resources," said Patrick J. McNulty, public health administrator. "It can be used in landscaping to conserve moisture, reduce weeds and reduce soil erosion." 

McHenry County Conservation District has one of four recycling programs in the County, including the Huntley Park District and Algonquin Township Road District. The conservation district's program runs through Jan. 15. For more information, call 815-338-6223

Huntley Park District will be working with the Sun City Community Association for the Christmas tree recycling program.  In January, trees will be collected every Monday and Tuesday. Residents can put their trees out on those days only. For more information, call the park district at (847) 669-3180.

Algonquin Township Road District's program runs through Jan. 31. For more information, call 847-639-2700, ext 6.

To learn more about the county's recycling efforts and ideas to help you live green, check out www.mchenry.edu/recycling/greenguide.pdf.