A record number of Christmas trees were recycled during this year’s Bring One for the Chipper effort.

According to a release from Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, a government program that encourages environmentally friendly activities, some 8,710 were collected.

The program encouraged residents to bring their old, live Christmas trees to several chipper sites throughout the county.

Tammy Wright, environmental program manager, said she didn’t expect the event to set records this year.

"I felt like with the economy not as many people would be buying live trees, but they proved me wrong," she said.

The previous record number of trees recycled through the program was 7,170 in 2008.

"In 2009, it was just 5,583 and in 2010 and 2011 it wasn’t that big," she said.

Wright attributed the new record to education, adding that "most people with real trees have gotten in the habit of recycling them."

Wright also thanked Davey Tree Company, Sawnee EMC and the county’s roads and bridges department for providing chipping services, as well as volunteers who worked at the various sites.

Forsyth has been participating in Bring One for the Chipper since 1994. Since then, more than 78,000 trees have been recycled.