At Trees for Cities our focus is very much on planting trees, but we understand why the Christmas Tree tradition is cherished around the country. As with all traditions, it brings with it a comforting sense of nostalgia, and the Christmas tree is for many as important as the Christmas gifts and the food. 

That said, from a tree’s perspective this whole business of taking it home with us, decorating it and then getting rid of it, must seem a little odd? It made us think about how a Christmas tree would react and how you can make the “getting rid of” part into something more positive (spoiler: recycle it!). With the help of illustrator Alexi Francis, it turned into a little something like this.

Let’s not leave any Christmas trees behind this year! Imagine how sad they’ll be 😢

How to recycle the tree responsibly: 

• Arguably one of the best things you can do is to get a Christmas tree with roots and plant them somewhere in anticipation for next year. Some garden centres and tree nurseries offer a Christmas tree rental scheme. 
• Most councils will pick the trees up for you (check out the Recycling Locator tool), and the trees are often shredded into chippings which are then used locally in parks or woodland areas.
• If your council don’t provide pick-ups, you can take it to the garden waste section of the tip.
• You can compost them yourself if you have a garden.

Remember: A Christmas tree isn’t just for Christmas 🎄

Would you like to help us plant more trees? You can donate a sum of your choice here. It's hugely appreciated.