The year is coming to a close — time to clean out the house.

As you clear away the holiday clutter, remember that a lot of it can be recycled instead of going to Oahu’s overburdened landfills. Start the year off right by recycling:

» Treecycling: Strip your Christmas tree of all tinsel and ornaments and chop it down for curbside pickup in your green compost bin (make sure the lid is closed). Whole trees can be dropped off at the nearest City Convenience Center. Flocked trees, unfortunately, cannot be recycled.

» Cardboard boxes: Corrugated cardboard boxes that were delivered over the holidays can go into your blue bin for curbside pickup. The blue bin also takes No. 1 and 2 plastics, glass jars, newspapers and office paper.

» Electronic waste: Computers, old television sets, monitors, printers and cellphones are all considered electronic waste, or e-waste, which contains lead and is best diverted from the landfill. You can donate old computers to various nonprofits or contact Pacific Corporate Solutions in Aiea for drop-off (appointment suggested, 488-8870).

Best Buy stores on Oahu accept most consumer electronics. Visit www.opala.org/solid_waste/eWaste.html for a complete list.

» CFL bulbs: Lowe’s and Home Depot both take back old CFL bulbs for recycling. The Blue Planet Foundation swaps incandescent bulbs for CFLs at various community events during the year.

» Old sneakers: The Converse Outlet Store in Waikele, 94-790 Lumiaina St., will take used sneakers of any brand for recycling. Visit www.nikereusashoe. com.

» Magazines and catalogs: Glossy magazines and catalogs (which probably piled up in your mailbox) can be recycled at Hagadone’s drop-off area, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and 8 a.m. to noon on second Saturdays, at 274 Puuhale Road or various Lex Brodie’s locations. Visit hagadoneprinting.com.

» Old bikes: If you got a shiny, new bike for Christmas and no longer want your old one, donate it to the Kalihi Valley Instructional Bike Exchange (K-VIBE), which will use it or its part to help kids fix or upgrade their bikes at no charge.

Drop bikes off at 1638 Kamehameha IV Road when the center is open. Call 843-1545 or visit k-vibe. blogspot.com.

» Apple gadgets: Apple takes back old Macs or PCs, iPhones and iPads for recycling. If it still has monetary value, Apple will offer you a gift card. If not, Apple will recycle it for free. Visit www.apple.com/recycling for more info.

» Aloha ‘Aina Earth Day: These community cleanup/fundraisers are the best one-stop shop for recycling unwanted household goods.They take place all around Oahu throughout the year. The first one of the new year will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 7 at Waimanalo Beach Park.

Various groups will collect everything from scrap metal and bicycles to beverage containers, cooking oil (used by Pacific Biodiesel), cellphones, printer cartridges, phonebooks, cardboard, eyeglasses, batteries (all kinds), computers, plastic play sets and prom dresses (for the Bella Project). They will also take one television set per car.

Look for more Aloha ‘Aina community collections Jan. 14 at Kalani High School and Jan. 21 at Castle High School.

» Freecycle. Find others who may want to reuse your unwanted items by joining Honolulu Freecycle at groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleHonolulu.

Happy recycling! For more links and information, visit my blog at thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs. com.

Nina Wu writes about environmental issues. Reach her at 529-4892 or nwu@staradvertiser.com.