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We’ve been decorating and keeping Christmas trees in our homes for almost 170 years. And yet we’ve only just started to wonder what really happens to them once the festivities are over.
Well, sadly the answer is usually landfill. It is estimated that around eight million trees end up in landfill every year, costing taxpayers £22m, not to mention the high environmental cost the whole planet has to pay. So, it’s probably time for you to think of giving this year’s tree a proper retirement.
The easiest thing to do is to recycle your tree. Depending on where you live in London, your local council will likely have a Christmas tree drop-off location set up in January. The trees are then used in local parks and woodlands, improving London’s green spaces.
If you would rather someone came to do it for you, Pines and Needles collects trees as well as sells them. If you’re feeling particularly lazy, you can even leave on the decorations and pay for the premium collection, which includes ‘undressing’. Hassle Free Christmas Tree offers a similar service and takes trees to green waste centres or replants them, depending on the types of trees they are.
If you have a green thumb, and an unusually large backyard, you can try replanting your tree yourself. The replanting part might be relatively easy, but keep in mind that Christmas trees usually require special care to maintain.
Moving forward, it might be worth considering renting a tree next year. These days, renting is all the rage: flats, cars, bikes, clothes. Almost everything can be part of a sustainable circular economy. Have a look at London Christmas Tree Rental, a company that lets you rent unique, naturally grown trees for the festive period and collects them in January (but they’re sold out for 2021). You can even rent the same tree every year if you put in a request. Imagine having that family tradition for years to come.