Christmas Tree Recycling: How to Dispose of Your Real Tree
A real Christmas tree is compostable, which is the one thing an artificial tree can never claim. Do not put it in a skip.
Here are your four options in January, cheapest first.
1. Your council will probably do it free
Most UK councils collect real Christmas trees in January and chip them for mulch, which goes back onto parks and gardens.
Some collect from the kerbside on a set date. Others ask you to take the tree to a recycling centre or a drop-off point in a local park. A few add it to your garden waste collection.
Check your council's website first. This is free in most areas and it is the easiest thing you can do.
Take any decorations, lights, tinsel and the stand off first. A tree with wire in it cannot be chipped.
2. Charity collections
Hundreds of charities, mostly hospices, collect Christmas trees in January in exchange for a donation.
You book online, leave the tree outside on the day, and volunteers take it away. The donation is whatever you choose, and it funds hospice care.
It is the best version of this. Your tree gets recycled, a hospice gets paid, and you do not have to move anything. Bookings usually open in December and slots fill quickly.
Search for your local hospice plus "Christmas tree collection" to find one near you.
3. Our collection service
You can add tree collection and recycling to your order at checkout. We take the tree away and recycle it.
Worth being straight with you: check options one and two first. If your council collects free, or a local hospice will do it for a donation, take that instead. We would rather tell you that than sell you something you can get for nothing.
Our service is there for people whose council does not collect, or who want it booked and settled at the same time as the tree.
4. Do it yourself
If you have a garden, a tree has uses.
Chip it or shred it and you have mulch for your beds. Cut the branches off and lay them over borders to protect plants from frost. The trunk can be cut into logs and left to rot down as a habitat pile, which is good for insects and the birds that eat them.
Do not burn it indoors. Conifer wood is full of resin, it spits, and it lines your chimney with tar.
What about a pot grown tree?
Nothing to recycle. A pot grown tree goes back outside and comes back next year.
Move it out in stages so the cold does not shock it. A few days in a porch or a garage, then a sheltered spot outside. Keep it watered through the summer and it will be ready for next Christmas. See our potted tree care guide.
Christmas tree recycling FAQs
When do councils collect Christmas trees?
Usually in the first two or three weeks of January. Dates vary, so check your council.
Is Christmas tree recycling free?
In most council areas, yes. Charity collections ask for a donation instead.
Do I need to remove the decorations?
Yes. All of them, including tinsel, lights and the stand. Wire and plastic stop the tree being chipped.
Can I put my Christmas tree in the garden waste bin?
Sometimes, if you cut it up small enough. Check your council's rules first.
What happens to recycled Christmas trees?
They are chipped into mulch and used on parks, gardens and footpaths.
Read our complete guide to real Christmas trees.