Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – The city of Helena and Republic Services are offering Helena residents free recycling for excess cardboard and live Christmas trees over the Christmas holiday.

From Saturday, Dec. 23 and until the Tuesday, Dec. 26, residents in Helena will have access to a dumpster at the Helena Sports Complex that will accept cardboard.

Residents are asked to please break down and flatten all cardboard boxes before depositing them at the dumpsters and to not leave boxes on the ground around the dumpster sites.

To prevent the misuse of the dumpster and wrongful dumping of non-cardboard items, cameras and surveillance will be in place to maintain the area.

Additionally, beginning on Christmas Day and lasting until Friday, Jan. 5, residents of Helena will also be able to bring their live Christmas trees to the Helena Sports Complex where they can be properly processed and recycled.

Republic Services have also released an updated holiday garbage schedule for the Christmas holiday. They will be closed on Monday, Dec. 25 in observance of Christmas Day and Monday, Jan. 1 for New Years Day. For both of those weeks, normal routes will run one day behind schedule.

• Monday garbage customers will be picked up on Tuesday.
• Tuesday garbage customers will be picked up on Wednesday.
• Wednesday recycle customers will be picked up on Thursday.
• Thursday garbage customers will be picked up on Friday.
• Friday garbage customers will be picked up on Saturday.