Christmas cards no longer have to go to waste.

Byline: SCOTT MABEN The Register-Guard

That amusing Christmas card from Aunt Betty doesn't have to be tossed in the trash along with all the other holiday greetings this year.

Like Christmas trees, gift boxes and other seasonal waste, holiday cards can be recycled. Lane County is collecting cards through Saturday and will donate them to a home for at-risk youth in Nevada.

In addition to 13 collection sites, the county will set up a collection tent outside the county courthouse, on the northeast corner of East Eighth Avenue and Oak Street, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The goal is to keep thousands of cards out of Short Mountain Landfill and build on the county's growing dedication to recycling. The collection also is part of the county's new "less is best" campaign to help residents shrink the amount of waste they generate each year.

In 2001, each Oregonian produced 2,676 pounds of waste, an increase of 1.2 percent from 2000, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

Donating the cards also helps the St. Jude's Ranch for Children in Boulder City. The kids precision-cut the card fronts and glue them to pre-printed card stock. Recycled cards are sold to raise funds for St. Jude's programs for abused, neglected and abandoned children.

The children also make 15 cents for each card they make. The money goes to their savings and college fund, a fund for special group outings and pocket money.

Consumers buy more than 7 billion cards a year, about half of them seasonal cards, according to the Greeting Card Association. About 2 billion Christmas cards are mailed annually, representing thousands of tons of waste.

Other locations around the county where cards may be dropped off are:

Citizens Building, second-floor employee break room, 975 Oak St., Eugene.

Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, main lobby, 1401 Willamette St., Eugene.

Sacred Heart Medical Center, cafeteria, 1255 Hilyard St., Eugene.

SELCO Credit Union branches: downtown Eugene, Florence, Gateway, Marketplace West, Santa Clara, South Eugene.

McKenzie-Willamette Hospital, G Street and emergency room lobbies, 1460 G St., Springfield.

Springfield Chamber of Commerce, main lobby, 101 South A St., Springfield.

Cottage Grove Community Hospital, main lobby, 1340 Birch Ave., Cottage Grove.

Peace Harbor Hospital and Primary Care Clinic, main lobbies, 400 Ninth St., Florence.

Volunteers from the county's Master Recyclers programs will collect the cards for shipment to Nevada.

CAPTION(S):

INSIDE A list or organizations that pick up Christmas trees / 4C INSIDE A list of organizations that pick up Christmas trees / 4C