THE LAST WORD:

Nothing says Happy New Year like a dead fir tree lying by the trash cans with a few strands of silver tinsel clinging to its thinning bough.

But now that your Christmas tree has served its purpose, don’t just kick it to the curb to be hauled away to the dump. Recycle it!

The City of Newport Beach makes it easy for you with its annual curbside Christmas tree recycling program, which begins Wednesday and runs through Jan. 11.

Real Christmas trees were in this year, because, some say, they’re more eco-conscious than fake ones. That may seem counter-intuitive, but the fact is: Real trees reduce carbon emissions in the air we breathe by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, which all living things need to survive. If your tree was grown on a sustainable farm, a new one was planted to replace it, meaning one more tree in the forest was left alone.

Recycling that tree is the next step in the eco-sensitivity process. The trees will be turned into mulch and used in gardens, or along park trails, or to create protective habitats for fish in local lakes, or turned into corrugated packaging.

If you need more information on recycling your Christmas tree, call the Newport Beach General Services Dept. at (949) 644-3055.