BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge residents searching for an environmentally friendly way to dispose of their Christmas tree do not have to look far, as BREC offers tree recycling at local parks.

“The day after Christmas, the Christmas season is over. It's time to get rid of the tree. All the decorations come down,” Baton Rouge resident Joseph Brown said while recycling his tree.

BREC collects live trees at six parks in East Baton Rouge Parish and turns them into mulch to help local habitats.

Drop-off locations include:

Flannery Road Park: 801 Flannery Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70815
Highland Road Community Park: 4024 Highland Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Memorial Sports Complex: 1702 Foss St, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Plank Road Park: 9550 Plank Rd, Zachary, LA 70891
Scotlandville Parkway: 3200 Harding Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70807
Zachary Community Park: 20055 Old Scenic Hwy, Zachary, LA 70891

Before dropping off a tree, there are some rules to follow. RaHarold Lawson, Director of Park Operations, said all lights, ornaments, tinsel and stands should be removed. Flocked trees will not be accepted.

“Because it’s something that is not really natural, that's a problem. So we stay away from trees with a flock. We would like them to come in unflocked,” Lawson said.

The drop-off process is simple and low-effort.

“Drop it off near that pile, and we'll come in with machinery and pick it up and start our process,” Lawson said.

BREC says the trees help improve park ecosystems, support wildlife and enhance water areas.

“We're able to control erosion in some respect, and put it back into the environment around the banks of the ponds and the parks, but also to help to grow the fisheries program as well,” Lawson said.

The tree recycling program began Friday, Dec. 26, and will run through Jan. 16. Starting Jan. 6 through Ash Wednesday, Southeastern Louisiana University will also accept trees for recycling.