Recycling Your Christmas Tree

When the festive period winds down and the New Year creeps upon us, it is important to think about how your tree will be reused or recycled.

2022 is here and when everything that can be recycled has been collected, you realise your Christmas tree is still up, here are a few pointers on ways it can be discarded this year….

• Some councils will collect your tree along with your green garden waste
• You could always take it to the recycling centre to be turned into soil improver or mulch
• Some zoos would love you to donate your tree to their larger animals for enrichment purposes (have you seen the fun an elephant can have with a Christmas tree?)

Or try something yourself at home, there are loads of ways you could use it in the garden or in your home…

Make a Dead Hedge

This benefits wildlife by encouraging foraging and nesting opportunities for both insects and creates a refuge for smaller birds such as Wrens and Robins. A great way to recycle larger pieces of garden waste as it can be topped up throughout the year as the branches degrade into the soil.

Frost Protection

Use as a protective cover over delicate plants in the garden. Cut the branches off the trunk and gently lay the fronds over your plants, or alternatively, form the branches into a wigwam and use horticultural fleece to keep the plants underneath frost free.

Spring Climbers

Use as a support for your climbers - remove the needles and plant the tree in a border, or lay the tree on it’s side and use the branches as supports for plants.

Wild Side

Create a wildlife habitat by laying the tree on it’s side. You will cause a mini eco system to develop for insects and allow foraging for smaller birds.

Indoor Crafting

Children have great fun making decorations or picture frames from the smaller branches, or the trunk can be cut into slices for crafting and pyrography, or even made into candle and tea light holders!

Do You Have a Pond?

Cut off branches and place them in the pond as a shelter for smaller fish and their fry.

Burn Your Own Yule Log

Chop the main trunk into logs, if they are seasoned for a year, they will burn nicely on your fire next Christmas.