The Columbus Sanitation Department will begin picking up your live Christmas trees with normal trash routes starting Monday.

Jeff Whittington, the sanitation foreman, asks that you remove any ornaments, tree stands, lights or other metal material from your tree before you put it out to the curb. The trees are turned into mulch at the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District site.

Whittington said that the live tree pickups will run Monday through Friday, Jan. 15. If you want to dispose of an artificial tree, or other large items, you can call the sanitation offices at (812) 376-2509