As the Quality Street tins run empty and decorations are taken down, we must finally admit Christmas is over for another year and the eternal mess of January has begun. One of the many painful reminders of this we often have to battle against is getting rid of the Christmas tree – as you may not be surprised to hear a dying tree stuffed inside a room isn’t great interior decoration outside of Christmas. Luckily, Manchester City Council has introduced many new methods this year to make it easier than ever before to recycle a Christmas Tree. 

 

The council has stressed no matter what method you use, you must remove all decorations, lights from the tree and the trunk or wooden block must be cut off. They have also suggested that artificial trees could be stored away and used for future Christmases but if you can’t store it away (or just for some reason absolutely hate its plastic guts) then it can be brought to a local recycling centre or taken to a charity shop. 

 

Green Bin Collection: 

One of the solutions is to simply put it inside the green bin along with food waste (e.g. the roast ham you spent hours cooking only for nobody to eat) and garden waste. This can be done by cutting up the tree trunk. However, a proviso is that the trunk can’t be thicker than your wrist. If it is thicker than that, or if like me you just really hate B&Q and don’t want to go there and get an axe, one of the other methods must instead be used. 

 

Drop Off Locations: 

There are over 20 tips in Greater Manchester which can be used to dispose of the tree at no cost. You can also drop off the trees at 3 different drop off points at Wythenshawe Park and Gardens Athletics Field, Boggart Hole Clough Visitor Centre or Patchett Street in Ardwick.  

 

JustGiving collection: 

If you would like to support charity this new year, a great way to do it is by donating your tree away to the JustGiving organisation who after the success of last years’ collection are once again collecting trees to raise money for the charity We Love Manchester – who according to Manchester City Council’s website: ‘distributes funding to good causes in the city, Francis House and St. Anne’s Hospice.’ JustGiving have already raised over £1.1 million this year alone and can collect trees from Bury, Manchester, Tameside, Stockport, Salford, and Trafford. You can book a collection here. 

 

Although it may seem a hassle to lumber about (terrible I know) with a Christmas tree just to give it a dignified end, it is important to recycle Christmas trees in order to reduce the carbon footprint and waste that Christmas gives to Manchester every year. Manchester is trying to become carbon neutral by 2038 and reduce rubbish left on the streets, not recycling your tree will mean both of these targets won’t be achieved.