Georgia Power Company has announced the return of its “Bring One for the Chipper” program, giving people a way to safely and cleanly dispose of old Christmas trees through recycling.

This year's program will be from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8. In appreciation for their recycling efforts, each participant will receive a free tree seedling, while supplies last.

Participating outlets in Coweta County include:

Coweta Environmental Management; Eva Wagner, 770-254-3785.

Raymond Compactor/Recycling Center on Bill Hart Rd. off Hwy 16 E., Sharpsburg, Moreland.

Welcome Road Compactor/Recycling Center, next to the fire station across from Western School, Newnan.

Hood Road Compactor/Recycling Center — take Roscoe Road (Hwy 70), turn right on Brimer Road; site is on the left at the intersection of Brimer and Hood Rd., Newnan.

White Oak Compactor/Recycling Center, in front of Ellis G Arnall Middle School on Lora Smith Road, Sharpsburg.

Rising Star Road Compactor/Recycling Center — take Ga. Hwy. 85 South from Senoia; road will fork; turn left; site is approx. 1/2 mile on the right, Senoia, Haralson.

East Newnan Compactor/Recycling Center, behind Shaw Industries on Murphey Street, Newnan.

Clearwater Compactor/Recycling Center — take Poplar Rd to Hwy 16; turn left; turn right on Clearwater Road; turn right onto McDonald Rd, Sharpsburg.

Old Highway 16 Compactor/Recycling Center, next to East Coweta High School on McIntosh Trail, Newnan.

Weldon Road Compactor/Recycling Center on Weldon Rd. between Hwy 29 and I-85 off exit 11, Newnan.

Selt Road Compactor/Recycling Center, off Hospital Rd. (next to Peachtree Regional Hospital) near the correctional institute, Newnan.

Andrew Bailey Road Compactor/Recycling Center, off Hwy 34 on Andrew Bailey Road, Sharpsburg.

Herring Road Compactor/Recycling Center, near the KMart Warehouse in the Shenandoah Industrial Park, Newnan.

Ishman Ballard Road Compactor/Recycling Center, on Essie Mae Walker Rd off of Ishman Ballard Rd between Smokey Road and Franklin Hwy., Newnan.

Cecil Hunter Road Compactor/Recycling Center, off Hwy 54 south of Turin, Senoia, Turin.

Corinth Road Compactor/Recycling Center, near the Forestry Commission, Newnan, Grantville.

Old Carrollton Road Compactor/Recycling Center, on the corner of the Arnco-Sargent School property off Hwy 16, Newnan.

Fair Grounds, Temple Avenue, Newnan.

By recycling trees, Georgians comply with the 1996 yard-waste ban in landfills, acquire free mulch for landscaping and help build fish habitats in Georgia's lakes, according to a Georgia Power press release.

As part of the statewide effort to reuse Christmas trees, Georgia Power is once again partnering with Keep Georgia Beautiful, The Home Depot, The Davey Tree Expert Company, Georgia-Pacific, WXIA-TV and local sponsors to provide convenient sites for area residents to drop off their trees.

The year 2000 marks the ninth anniversary of “Bring One for the Chipper,” which has collected 2.5 million trees and provided one million tree seedlings to participants during its previous eight years. Last year 327,578 trees were collected.

“This annual event diverts more than 300,000 Christmas trees annually from landfills throughout the state and reinforces the steps we need to take to keep all yard waste from being disposed in landfills,” said Heather Leo, Keep Georgia Beautiful's program coordinator. “This is one simple way to reduce the amount of waste entering landfills.”

One often overlooked benefit of recycling the trees is the opportunity to receive free mulch for landscaping. The Davey Tree Expert Company provides chipping equipment at several locations around the state and will be mulching the trees as they come in Jan. 8.

In addition to landscaping, the mulch is great for children's play areas. Churches, day care centers and schools are encouraged to use the mulch from the chipper program for their playgrounds. Interested parties should phone Chris Helm at Davey Tree, 770-451-7911, for information about the availability of mulch.

This will be the fourth year that Georgia Power fish biologist Scott Hendricks has used trees to create fish habitats in Lake Burton. Last year, Georgia Power and Department of Human Resources employees placed about 600 trees in the lake.

Hendricks will partner with the DNR in late January and is hoping to use about 1,000 trees this year. He is also working with a youth bass fishing club to place about 250 trees in Lake Jackson. Placing the trees in the lake enhances the entire ecosystem.

“The trees provide a place for micro-organisms to grow, which attract the young or small fish,” said Hendricks. “In turn, the small fish attract the larger bass and crappie who are looking for an easy meal. Where the large fish gather is where you will find the anglers.”

For a complete listing of Christmas tree collection sites, check out the “Bring One for the Chipper” web site at www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org.

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