Christmas trees in Hawai'i can continue to serve a purpose long after the holiday season. "Treecycling" turns thousands of trees each year into wood chips, mulch and other products that benefit the landscape.

All four counties have programs in place to collect discarded Christmas trees, and some even provide free chippings or mulch as a reward. Officials advise residents not to dump trees at former tree dropoff sites no longer in use, or at other recycling areas not designated for treecycling. Those who do can be subject to illegal dumping charges.

All decorations, nails and stands should be removed from the tree. Flocked trees are not accepted.

ON O'AHU

Place trees at the curb for pickup on regular twice-monthly yard waste collection day; trees larger than 6 feet should be cut in half. For collection days, call 692-5410. Trees also can be dropped off daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Refuse and Recycling Convenience Centers in 'Ewa, Hale'iwa, Wahiawa, Waipahu, La'ie, Waimanalo and Wai'anae, and at Hawaiian Earth Products composting facilities at the Campbell Industrial Park (682-5895) and in Kailua (261-5877).

Condominiums and commercial buildings can arrange to have trees hauled to composting sites for free, courtesy of the city.

Free mulch will be available, while supplies last, at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, Hawaiian Earth Products, the Makiki, Manoa and Wahiawa community gardens, and the Waimea Valley Audubon Center.

For more information, call the city Recycling Office at 692-5410 or visit the Web site www.opala.org.

ON THE BIG ISLAND

Hawai'i County's Solid Waste Division and Highway Maintenance Division will be collecting and chipping trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 8 at 10 transfer stations: Hilo, Honoka'a, Ka'ahuhu, Kea'au, Kealakehe, Keauhou, Pahoa, Puako, Waimea and Wai-'ohinu. Free chippings will be available, while supplies last, from Jan. 9 to Jan. 12. Call the county Recycling Hotline at (808) 961-5044.

IN MAUI COUNTY

A one-day dropoff event is planned from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 7 at Kalama Park, Kihei; the Luana Gardens soccer field, Kahului; the Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Pukalani; and the Ha'iku Community Center. Trees also can be dropped off at Maui EKO on Pulehu Road, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily except Sunday; the Olowalu Recycling Center, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday; the Hana Landfill, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays; and the Moloka'i Na'iwa Landfill, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday; 8 a.m. to noon Thursday and weekends.

Trees will not be accepted at drop-box recycling sites. To report illegal dumping of Christmas trees, call (808) 270-7874. For the county Recycling Hotline, call (808) 270-7880.

ON KAUA'I

Trees can be taken to the Hanalei, Lihu'e, Kapa'a and Hanapepe transfer stations from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, and to the Kekaha Landfill from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Kaua'i Nursery and Landscape on Kaumuali'i Highway will accept trees daily through Jan. 7, with a dropoff site outside the main entrance. For more information, call the county recycling office at (808) 241-6891 or visit the Web site www.kauai.gov/recycling.

In addition, KONG radio has a tree drop bin behind the station. Call KONG at (808) 245-9527.