Recycle or replant your Christmas tree to save it from landfill

With an estimated 8 million trees being disposed of this year, the government is encouraging people to recycle or replant their trees instead of throwing them away.

Millions of households have been taking down their Christmas decorations over the past few days, and with the majority of these households throwing their Christmas trees away, it’s estimated that a huge proportion will end up in landfill.

To help tackle this potential mountain of waste, the government is encouraging individuals or businesses to recycle or replant their trees rather than throwing them away.

It’s also an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer as the estimated the cost of these 8 million trees going to landfill is around £22m.

Real Christmas trees are totally recyclable and can either be shredded and turned into chippings which can be used in parks or woodland areas, or they can be replanted in parks or gardens.

People can reach out to local charities who organise Christmas tree collections, such as Just Helping, who will collect your tree for a small donation and will then take the tree to be recycled or replanted.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow said: ‘Millions of families around the UK celebrated Christmas with a beautiful Fir or Spruce tree in their home, but when the decorations are taken down, it’s important that we dispose of these trees sustainably.

‘If you have a tree with its roots still attached, then replanting your Christmas tree is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and help our efforts to plant more trees.

‘But if replanting is not an option, make sure to check what collection and recycling services are available where you live.

‘Alternatively, if you have a compost bin or heap, then you could break up your tree and add it to the compost.

‘If, however, you have an artificial tree, then make sure to look at ways of keeping them for future Christmasses so they don’t end up in landfill where they can take centuries to decompose.’

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