Now that Christmas has come and gone, and that once-festive tree is drying up and needles are falling all over the living room, families are faced with the task of disposing their trees. Fortunately, there are several local sites where Christmas trees can be disposed of and used in an environmentally friendly way.

Kathy Osborne, dispatcher for the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority field office in Saluda, said Monday that VPPSA will collect trees at its 16 convenience centers on the Middle Peninsula until Jan. 11. The lone VPPSA center in Mathews is located on Route 14 at Foster.

Trees that are brought in should be stripped of all lights and decorations.

Last year was the first time VPPSA offered tree recycling, which Osborne said was well-received. Previously, trees were dumped with the trash into a landfill. Meanwhile, Gloucester residents can take their undecorated trees throughout January to one of Waste Management’s five convenience centers in the county: Guinea...