Environmentalists are encouraging Baldwin County residents to recycle their Christmas trees, which will be turned into mulch or used to stabilize beaches.

For the past nine years, thousands of Christmas trees gleaned from roll-off containers have been converted to mulch for composting at Magnolia Landfill or placed in off-shore brush fences to reduce wave energies and promote sediment accretion along various county shorelines.

The project also conserves a significant amount of landfill space.

Kara Lankford, a county natural resource planner, said Monday that trees will be stockpiled while county staffers search for a suitable environmental project.

Lankford said no flocked or artificial trees will be accepted, and all decorations should be removed.

Trees may be taken to the following county landfill sites:

• Magnolia Landfill, 15140 County Road 49, Summerdale.

• MacBride Landfill, 14200 County Road 64, Loxley.

• Eastfork Landfill, 17971 CC Road, Elberta.

• Bay Minette Transfer Station, 291 Nicholsville Road, Bay Minette.

Roll-off containers also will be placed at the following locations:

• Foley Satellite Courthouse, 201 E. Section St.

• Fairhope Satellite Courthouse, 1100 Fairhope Ave.

• Baldwin County Central Annex, 22251 Palmer St., Robertsdale.

• Spanish Fort Volunteer Fire Department, 7580 Spanish Fort Blvd.

Christmas trees will be accepted after Jan. 11 only at Magnolia Landfill.

For more information, call (251) 972-6878.