It’s time to think about putting away the Christmas ornaments. And if they’ve been hanging on a live tree, Benicia’s Boy Scouts will help out by picking up and recycling the tree.

Once again, as they have for about 20 years, local Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture Crew and Sea Scout troops are asking residents either to drop off their tree or arrange for its pickup.

Those trees — once the centerpiece of home and business holiday decor — are turned into wood chips and find new usefulness as ground cover on city properties.

Benicia’s city government and its garbage and recycling contractor, Republic Services (formerly Allied Waste Services), are partners in the annual program.

The Scouts’ effort also is supported by Pedrotti Ace Hardware, Benicia Roundtable Pizza, Benicia Kinders, Pizza Pirate, The Rellik Tavern, Benicia Safeway, Pacifica Pizza, the Benicia branch of Wells Fargo Bank and United Rentals of Martinez.

Those who prefer to drop off their trees may do so from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday as well as Jan. 10 and 11 at Benicia Community Park, 540 Rose Drive (behind Matthew Turner Elementary School), and First Baptist Church, 1055 Southampton Road.

But local Scouts also will pick up trees at homes and businesses. To make these arrangements, residents and business owners may call the tree recycle hotline, 707-551-4520, or visit the Scouts’ website http://beniciascouts.org/cgi-bin/treecycle to complete and submit the tree pickup form.

Trees must be placed outside by 8:30 a.m. the day of scheduled pickup. Scouts are not allowed to enter homes. Decorations must be removed, including tinsel and icicles, but flocked trees will be accepted.

While the Scouts are providing a public service as they turn used Christmas trees into mulch, they also are hoping residents will provide a donation to area troops. Each year, Scouts have suggested a donation of $7 per tree, which they point out is a bargain compared to other Bay Area cities, where Scouts have requested twice that amount. Of course, they say, they would be happy to accept larger donations.

People may fasten a check, made payable to “BSA Christmas Tree Recycling,” in an envelope tied to the tree — no cash can be accepted. Or they may send a donation to Christmas Tree Recycling, P.O. Box 389, Benicia CA 94510, or ask Scouts to come to the door to receive a check.

Rick Knight, superintendent of Benicia Parks and Community Services, has called the program “a win-win for both the city and the Scouts.”

That’s because the Scouts get money for their programs and the contract for the chipping service.

The program also keeps the streets cleaner and reduces city costs by providing mulch for public properties such as its parks, for weed abatement and, using flocked trees in particular, for parking lots.

Meanwhile, he said, residents don’t have to worry about what to do with old Christmas trees.