Still got the Christmas decorations up? We’ve all been there. One minute it’s December and you’re tucking into your third selection box to the dulcet tones of Michael Bublé. The next you’ve blinked and it’s mid-January, the house is still covered in tinsel and you’re the last in the street with Christmas lights up.
It’s time to say goodbye to another Christmas, but how should you go about recycling greetings cards and wilted trees to mark the start of a sustainable new year?
How to recycle a ‘real’ Christmas tree
If you’re looking for a sustainable solution to saying farewell to this year’s fir or spruce, there are plenty of options for you. Across the country, local councils have facilities that enable residents to recycle their Christmas trees so that they can be used for chippings or soil. To find out whether your local council offers garden waste disposal, click here.
Another option, if you’ve got a garden with enough space, is replanting your tree so that you can reuse it next year. This is a great option if you’re green fingered, or if you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to your fir-y friend.
How to recycle an artificial Christmas tree
The great thing about artificial Christmas trees is that they can reappear time and time again, lasting years of festive seasons to come. But, if it really is time to let your plastic tree go, consider donating your trees to local charity shops. While your old tree may not be to your taste anymore, there are plenty of families on a budget that would give it a brand new lease of life.
Or, if your artificial tree is truly on its last legs, why not save as much of it as possible by transforming its branches into reusable foliage for next year? It may no longer work as your home’s centrepiece, but it can still serve a decorative purpose for years to come