By Matt Roy, Independent Newsmedia

With the lingering ring of sleigh bells fading, weary West Valley revelers set their sights on another new year.

But for many, a bit of literal and figurative housekeeping must take priority over adventure, with strands of LEDs to unstring and brittle Christmas trees to dispose of before resolving into some serious spring cleaning.

Fortunately, municipalities across the Valley offer a variety of resources and opportunities for those seeking to spruce up the garage or de-spruce the living room.

Surprise

The city of Surprise provides four locations to drop off Christmas trees through Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, including:

• Gaines Park, 15837 N. Nash St. (north end of the parking lot)
• Surprise Recreation Campus, 15795 N. Parkview Place (across from Valley Vista High School)
• Dick McComb Softball Park, 17894 Westpark Blvd. (parking lot on corner of 180th Avenue and Westpark)
• Asante Community Park, 16763 W. Vereda Solana Dr. (parking lot at the north end of the park)

Officials ask residents to limit the drop-off to two trees per household and to remove all decorations before placing them only in designated areas.

Diane Arthur, communications director for Surprise, reminded residents not to overfill their curbside cans.

“All items placed in our trash containers for curbside pick-up should be bagged and allow the lid to remain closed,” Ms. Arthur stated by email. “The weight limit for the trash containers is 200 pounds. Only regular household trash, garbage and small quantities of yard trimmings are acceptable. That’s why we offer the Christmas Tree drop-off locations.”

The curbside recycling bins also have limited capacity and are intended only for specific types of items, such as: non-metallic wrapping paper and cardboard rolls; greeting cards without shiny embellishments; shopping catalogues; and gift and shipping boxes.

Items not permitted in the recycle bin include: tape and dispensers; Christmas trees, ornaments and decorations, such as tinsel and fake snow; and packing peanuts.

To get rid of hazardous materials and bulk refuse, city officials offer numerous opportunities throughout the year to dispose of such items safely and at no cost, Ms. Arthur stated.

Surprise residents may drop off one load of to 2,000 pounds of residential waste 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 10 at the Northwest Regional Landfill, 19401 W. Deer Valley Road. Another drop-off event is planned for early September.

Proof of residence is required and hazardous waste items are prohibited.

Hazardous items – such as old paint, chemicals, car batteries, cleaners, auto tires and appliances – will be collected 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 14 at the Public Works Maintenance Yard, 13433 W. Foxfire Drive. Proof of residence is required and a second hazardous waste collection will take place in October.

Those wishing to rid themselves of half-filled prescription bottes accumulated in medicine cabinets, the Surprise Police Department provides an easy, safe solution, according to Tim Klarkowski, a department spokesman.

“The Surprise Police Department recognizes the increasing threat to health and safety posed by prescription drug abuse. As such, we maintain a prescription drug collection and disposal program,” Mr. Klarkowski stated by email. “The focus of this program is to provide a safe location for individuals to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medications and ultimately reduce the likelihood of these medications falling into the hands of children, teens, or those who may misuse or abuse them.”

Access to green collection bin is provided 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week in the lobby at department headquarters, 14250 W. Statler Plaza.

The following items are not allowed: needles, ointments, lotions, liquids, aerosol cans, inhalers, hydrogen peroxide and thermometers. Such items would be better disposed of at the aforementioned hazardous waste collection events.

Following rules established in 2014 by the Drug Enforcement Administration regulators implementing the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, unwanted and expired drugs may be dropped at any of hundreds disposal locations across the state.

A list of authorized locations and instructions on which medications are safe to flush down the toilet are available at www.fda.gov.

Leftover medications will also be collected at the upcoming Shred-a-Thon hosted 7-10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Surprise Police Department.

Attendees can bring up to three boxes of documents per vehicle to be shredded and disposed of at the free event. The event continues until 10 a.m. or until the shred trucks are filled, according to an invitation published on Facebook by city officials.

Sun Cities

For residents of county island areas in the Northwest Valley – such as those in Sun City or Sun City West – Parks & Sons offers Christmas tree pickup free of charge to its active customers.

For residents who use the underground residential service, Christmas tree pickup runs through Saturday, Jan. 6 and no advanced scheduling is required. Discarded trees must be placed next to, but not on top of, their underground can.

Trees must be placed next to the underground can by 5:30 a.m. on pickup day.

For those who are not already regular customers, Parks & Sons can still help the out this season, according Customer Service Supervisor Anne Hernandez.

“Just give us a call and we can schedule a pickup for them,” Ms. Hernandez said. “The cost depends on the location and service limited to those in our service area.”

Those in need can call 623-974-4791 to find out if they lie within the service area and get an individualized quote for one-time pickup.

Peoria

City officials hosted eight Christmas tree disposal sites throughout Peoria, but only through Tuesday, Jan. 2. However, residents may still safely get rid of those rapidly drying conifers starting again next week, according to city spokeswoman Kristina Perez.

“Christmas trees can be set out for bulk trash collection,” Ms. Perez explained by email. “The next bulk trash collection begins Jan. 8, 2018.”

City crews starting Monday, Jan. 8 will pick up bulk items at the curb, including: appliances, furniture, yard waste and unused wood fencing and panels. Glass, construction and landscaping materials, auto parts and hazardous waste are prohibited for the bulk trash cleanup.

Household hazardous waste will be collected by appointment in February with scheduling beginning mid-January, Ms. Perez said.

“Improper disposal can cause injury to solid waste collection employees and contaminate storm water,” Ms. Perez stated. “Our collection program ensures that these dangerous chemicals are collected and disposed of in a safe manner and offers Peoria residents the convenience of having hazardous waste collected from their home.”

Appointments may be scheduled beginning Tuesday, Jan. 16 by calling 623-773-7836. Applicants will receive a callback to schedule the pickup date. Collections run Feb. 5-23 and participants are asked to clearly label and seal hazardous materials before placing them outside their garage or carport for collection.

Hazardous materials should not be placed on sidewalks or curbside.

The city has two locations to drop off unused medications, including: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Public Safety Administration Building lobby, 8351 W. Cinnabar Ave.; and 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday at the Pinnacle Peak Public Safety Building lobby, 23100 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway.

Officials urge residents to take advantage of the free drug takeback rather than flushing such materials down toilets, citing information provided by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

“We now know that some of these substances are bad for our environment … can pass through sewage treatment plants and septic tanks into surface waters, soils, and the groundwater,” according to an ADEQ brochure.

The free drop off locations are available year-round to Peoria residents. Items such as needles, liquids or aerosols are not accepted.

Glendale

For Glendale residents, city officials offer a free “treecycling” service through Monday, Jan. 8 at locations including:

• Acoma Park: 53rd Avenue and Acoma Road
• Fire Station 156: 6801 W. Deer Valley Road
• Glendale Heroes Regional Park: 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road
• Foothills Park: 5708 W. Union Hills Drive
• Sahuaro Ranch Park: 9802 N. 59th Ave.
• O’Neil Park: 6448 W. Missouri Ave.
• Rose Lane Park: 5003 W. Marlette Ave.

Residential bulk trash pickups were scheduled in December, but residents may request additional bulk pickups throughout the year at a cost of $99, which is charged to the resident’s water bill. Visit www.glendaleaz.com/sanitation/ for more information.

City officials will begin taking appointments for its biennial household hazardous waste collection program starting Monday, Feb. 26 with collections running Monday, March 19-Friday, April 6. Registration will be conducted first-come, first-served.

Rules allow disposal of up to 20 gallons of paint, oil, gasoline, antifreeze and other automotive fluids. Each must be stored in clearly labeled, original containers of no more than five gallons each.

Prohibited items include: Ammunition and explosives; appliances; electronics; medical waste; landscaping materials; radioactive materials; and car tires. For information and arranging a pickup, residents may call 623-930-2660.

Drop-off boxes for unused medications are available at two city locations: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at Foothills Station, 6255 W. Union Hills Drive; and 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday at Gateway Station, 6261 N. 83rd Ave.