Give your Christmas Tree a second-life, recycle that tree!

To recycle in Brea, here’s the low-down:

• Pick-up for holiday trees begins December 29 to January 9, 2009.
• Trees 6 feet and larger must be cut in half.
• All decorations, lights ornaments, etc (yes remove the stand too) must be removed from tree.
• Place outside with your nomal trash for pick up in the brown trash can on collection day.
• Remember flocked-trees are not recyclable.

A good friend and REALTOR colleague Marlene Bridges recently questioned whether consumers would pay more to be eco-friendly in today’s enlightened environment.  She posed an interesting question,  whether or not as consumers would be a committed to going green even if it cost more to do so. Here’s an excerpt on her  recent post:

“While at the grocery store, I first picked up a case of the store brand water that was on sale.  Then, I saw the new-shaped Arrowhead water bottles I’d seen advertised on TV.  I put the store brand back on the shelf and opted for the Arrowhead water because I think it’s worth an extra 50 cents per case to be more eco-friendly.”

• To see more on Marlene’s post  click over to Will People Pay More to be Eco-Friendly? I Did. After reading, ask yourself the same question. Let me know your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you.
• To see other “Green Posts” click here within this site.

Ho Ho Ho ~ Go Green With Your Christmas Trees 

 Make Santa a happy camper and recycle those green trees! City requirements do vary, please check yours. It seems pretty universal, all ornaments and tinsel must be removed along with the tree stands. The size of tree sections varies depending on your city requirements. Also it should be noted that flocked trees cannot be re-cycled,  however it appears they will be collected. Some are required to be bagged. Please check with your city for any questions. 

•  Anaheim ~ Collection, Christmas trees for recycling will be picked up by a special collection truck on residents’ regular trash collection days from Dec. 31 to Jan. 11. Trees must be cut in half if they are bigger than six feet tall. Information: (714) 238-2444.
•  Brea ~ Christmas tree pick up for recycling will be from Dec. 31 to Jan 14. Cut  tree in half and use the brown waste container or at curbside near the trash cans. Trees 6 feet or larger mustbe cut in half. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and must be bagged separately. Brea’s regular trash pick-up will be one day later than the normal pick-up schedule. For info call  (714) 238-3300.
•  Fullerton ~ Residents recycling Christmas trees are asked to cut the trees in four-foot sections and place them out with their trash on regular collection days starting Dec. 26. All tree stands, decorations, lights and tinsel must be removed. Discarded trees should not be placed in tree bags. Information: 714-238-2444 
• La Habra ~ Trees will be collected by Waste Management from Dec. 26th through Jan. 9th. Trees should be placed curbside. Flocked trees will be collected however cannot be recycled.  
• Placentia ~ Disposal services will be  picking  up Christmas trees for two weeks on regular pick-up days following Dec. 31. The trees must be curbside next  to your  regular trash  cans, but not in  the cans. They must be free of stands, tinsel and ornaments, and no tree section can be more than six feet long.
• Yorba Linda ~  Residents can recycle trees by placing them curbside near the trash cans on their regular trash day. Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half and all ornaments removed. Flocked trees are not recyclable and must be bagged. Trees will be collected beginning  Dec. 31 and  through Jan. 14. For more information call (714) 238-3300. 

Clean up day is a volunteer event, and we need your help!
In addition to to clean up day there is a special group that participates in a three-week program “Coast Weeks“, September 15 through Oct 7 celebrating coastal resources throughout the “Golden” State. Click here to view scheduled events for Coast Week. At times I’ve had people ask my why California is called the Golden State, I think the official answer is because gold was discovered in 1848 in our state, the beginning of the California gold rush. Others may say it’s the golden-orange colors of the poppy our state flower. As for me, you need only to drive up Highway 5 through the middle of the state in the summer time to see how our hills turn golden brown. At least that’s the way I like to think of them.

Along with our mountains and deserts, California has some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world, a true joy to experience. I bike at the beach regularly.

It’s the responsibility of each and everyone of us to do our best to preserve our coastlines for future enjoyment. If you’re in CA I would urge you to participate in this event. If not, regardless of your location, I know there are similar events scheduled everywhere. If you’re participating now, or plan to do so, I’d love to hear from you, feel free to add a link to your event.

The City of Brea announces a new e-waste program now in operation for Brea residents.

In the past the only way to properly dispose of old computers, monitors, T.V.’s, etc. was to pay a visit to the Hazardous Waste Disposal facility at 1071 Blue Gum St. in Anaheim. I should know, I’ve made plenty of trips to this facility myself. However now Brea residents can save yourself a trip and bucks normally spent for gas $$$ (that’s another good thing, isn’t it?) by calling to schedule an appointment for a Tuesday pick up. To do so call Brea Disposal to arrange for a pick up of your electronic items like a VCR, television, copiers, fax machine, computer monitor for example. Items will be picked up curbside, now how’s that for service? Not bad, right? More information will follow in upcoming water bills, so watch your snail mail. or you can check out the city website for more info now. In the event you’re not able to wait for Tuesday’s curbside pick up you can still drive to the Blue Gum facility, again it’s located at 1071 Blue Gum St. Anaheim, the area north of the 91 freeway and just east of the 57 freeway. Call first for operating hours at (714) 238-3301. Drop-off is easy, you just drive up, stay in your vehicle and they come to you. You will be asked to complete a short form with your name and address as a resident of Orange County. Remember we’re experiencing a year in which we’ve had the lowest recorded rainfall in decades. Here’s some good tips from the County of Orange. Actually these are great tips for all of us regardless of your location.

We ALL need to protect our water quality. If you’re a gardener, here are a few ways you can make a difference.

● Carefully follow the directions printed on containers of fertilizer, insecticides and herbicides. Don’t over-use these products, you could damage your plants and the environment.

● Avoid rinsing these products into the street or gutter.

● Do not use fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides before a predicted rainstorm. The rain can wash the products into the storm drain.

● Adjust sprinklers to avoid over-watering.

● Remember, if it is not raining, there should be no water in the gutters or storm drains!

For more information about what you can do to prevent water pollution, visit www.ocwatersheds.com. Also, visit www.gwrsystem.com for more information on the OC Water District & OC Sanitation plans to diversify the water supply and groundwater replenishment providing a new source of locally controlled, high-quality water for Northern and Central OC.

If you’re looking for real estate help in Brea or surrounding communities, contact me: wwwLynda@PreferredHomeBrokers.com

Here are some other interesting ECO friendly articles written by REALTOR and Lender colleagues around the U.S. Check them out:

• Home Depot Goes Green in Clearwater, FLorida – by Cyndee Haydon
• Keeping Clearwater Beach FL Clean and Beautiful by Jack Haydon
• Eco Friendly Pest Control Soluton for Tampa Bay Homes by Leah Ross
• Our ski resorts are now 100% wind powered (almost) by Joanne Hanson
• Ventura County Leads the Way in Green Waste Recycling by Mana Tulberg
• Albuquerque Eco-Friendly living by Ashley Drake Gephart
• Tankless Water Heaters, an Eco-friendly Solution! by Chris Tesch