AUSTIN — If you don't like the decorated trees along Highway 360 each year because of the trash, you’re not alone.
A local entrepreneur is working to keep the holiday tradition going -- but not the trash.
“There's a lot of trash,” 16-year-old Luke Sheisser said.
That's why Sheisser started his new seasonal company, Santa Trash.
"It's this great tradition, but people don't really take care of it,” Sheisser said.
So Sheisser decided to take care of the issue himself.
“I love the tradition,” Sheisser said.
Here's how his plan works: Those who decorate the tree will email Sheisser with a photo of the tree and location. At the beginning of the new year, he will collect the decorations from the trees.
"I realize when it’s cold in January, you don't really want to come out and take them down again, so I figured hey, might as well start a business with it,” Sheisser said.
His business has three levels of service.
For $24, Sheisser will take the decorations off the tree, put them in a bag and leave them at the site for you to pick up.
For $29, he will put the decorations in a bag and throw them away.
For $39, he will remove the decorations and deliver them to your home.
"It's kind-of Austin, you know, it's, as far as I know, no other city does this. And I kind-of want to keep an Austin tradition alive without having it become a hassle,” Sheisser said.
Shiesser said he also plans to donate 10 percent of his profits to the local nonprofit Mobile Loaves and Fishes, which helps those suffering from homelessness.
If you want to try out the service, you can sign up on the Santa Trash website here.