Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
The holiday season is upon us, and as we celebrate, it is important to remember that our environment benefits every time we make a green choice, like recycling. One seasonal item that often gets overlooked after the celebrations is the Christmas Tree. Before we talk about recycling Christmas trees, let’s take a moment to appreciate their history.
The tradition of decorating trees during winter dates back thousands of years. According to the History Channel, the use of evergreens symbolized life during dark winter days. Ancient civilizations placed evergreen branches above doors and windows to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits, illness, and misfortune, connecting us to a meaningful history.
Many believe the modern Christmas tree tradition can be credited to St. Boniface, who is said to have used the triangular shape of the fir tree to teach about the Holy Trinity — God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to people who used trees in their rituals.
The earliest written references to a decorated Christmas tree date to the mid-1500s in Europe. Records show that in 1521, a pine tree was decorated as part of a Christmas celebration, and by 1539, a Christmas tree appeared in the Cathedral of Strasbourg. In 1570, a fir tree was decorated with fruits and nuts for children to enjoy on Christmas Day. The tradition continued to spread throughout Germany into the 1700s, with candles added to trees on Christmas Eve. By the early 1800s, the Roman Catholic Church recognized the custom, and German immigrants introduced Christmas trees to America in the mid-1700s.
If you celebrate Christmas with a live tree this year, please remember to recycle it at Keep Liberty Beautiful’s annual Bring One for the Chipper event. Your recycled trees will be mulched rather than wasted, helping our environment and fostering a sense of contribution to a greener community. Be sure to remove all lights, decorations, tinsel, and tree stands before drop-off. KLB can only accept live, undecorated trees. Drop-off dates are December 26, 2025-January 3, 2026. Residents in Hinesville can have their undecorated trees picked up curbside.
A special thank-you to Georgia Power Company for providing the equipment and workforce to mulch all collected trees for our community!
Bring One for the Chipper, a holiday tradition in Georgia for 35 years and the nation’s largest tree recycling program, invites residents to bring their Christmas trees to one of more than 100 sites statewide. Trees have been recycled into mulch for playgrounds, landscaping projects, and wildlife habitats, helping protect our environment. Since the program’s inception, over 6 million Christmas trees have been diverted from landfills.
Keep Liberty Beautiful will be giving away 300 tree seedlings and plant seeds, all made possible by the Bringing One for the Chipper Sponsors: Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, The Home Depot, Davey Tree Expert Company, Georgia Forestry Commission, WXIA 11 Alive, Ferry-Morse Company, Burpee Seed Company.
Christmas trees may be dropped off at any Liberty County Solid Waste Convenience Center or Recycling Drop-off Center during regular operating hours:
• 25 South Dairy Road (Highway 196 West, Gum Branch)
• 156 Pate Rogers Road (Fleming)
• 836 Limerick Road (near Lake George)
• 64 Left Field Road (Highway 84, Miller Park)
• 619 J V Road (west of Hinesville)
• 50 Isle of Wight Road (Midway area)
• 344 Ft. Morris Road (East End near Sunbury)
• 129 Sandy Run (off Highway 84)
• 941 E.G. Miles Parkway (Highway 196 West at Training Center)
• Walthourville Public Works site
• 4000 Coastal Hwy (Highway 17 in Riceboro)
• Fort Stewart
Joining us for chipping day offers a chance for community members to connect and feel part of a shared effort to keep Liberty County beautiful. Bring One for the Chipper is on Saturday, January 3, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Liberty County Recycling Transfer Station, Hinesville (Corner of West Oglethorpe Highway and Fraser Drive, across from McDonald’s and Jet gas station). We are next to the Liberty County DFCS Office, 112 W. Oglethorpe Hwy, Hinesville.
KLB also has a Recycle It! Fair in Hinesville at the same time and location. Bring your live tree and household hazardous waste items, such as old medicines, cell phones, clothing, shoes, and electronics, for safe recycling.
Participants can pick up tree seedlings, vegetable, and flower seeds while supplies last. For more information, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.gov.
Let’s celebrate this holiday season responsibly and help Keep Liberty Beautiful for generations to come.