With Christmas 2022 behind us, people around the country will be looking to take down their festive decorations.
While you can box up your lights and baubles to store away for the next year, getting rid of your Christmas tree is a slightly different situation. How can you dispose of your real Christmas tree in the most environmentally way possible?
In 2020, Environmental 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 trees sustainably.”
The environmental impact of Christmas trees
Disposing of your Christmas tree in the wrong way can be damaging to the environment. When burned, a Christmas tree will emit 3.5kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). For reference, this would be about 0.2% of the emissions from a return flight from London to New York, according to the BBC.
However, if the trees end up in landfills, they will have a much higher carbon footprint of 16kg of CO2e. These figures are based off of a 2m-tall tree.
When dumped in a landfill, Christmas trees can end up releasing the same amount of carbon as methane. This is a greenhouse gas around 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timescale.
There are also economic factors to consider in the disposal of Christmas trees. According to the UK government, the cost of landfilling eight million trees (the average amount bought each year in the UK) is around £22 million, which “is costly to both the environment and the taxpayer.”
How does Christmas tree collection work, 2023?
Councils around the country offer a free Christmas tree collection service. Check your local council website to find out when your Christmas tree can be collected.
Most councils will not collect trees if they are plastic, still decorated, in soil or still in a pot or stand, or over 6ft.
Your tree will need to be placed outside your property next to your bin, though it is always best to check your local council website in case they have any requests on where to place your tree for collection.
How else can you get rid of your Christmas tree?
You can also replant your tree outside as a way of reducing your carbon footprint. Alternatively, you could break up your tree and add it into your compost heap if you have one.
Another way to dispose of your tree is to drop it off at a recycling centre where it can be made into chippings.
You cannot recycle artificial trees as they are made from a combination of materials. However, you can donate unwanted trees in a good condition to your local charity shop.
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