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How to recycle your old Christmas tree
How to recycle your old Christmas tree
Having a real Christmas tree in your home over the festive period is a great way to give your home a traditional Christmas feel with that authentic pine needle aroma. But what should you do with the tree after Christmas?
Shredding
You can covert your Christmas tree into woodchip mulch by putting it through a shredder. Put the branches through one at a time to avoid jamming the mechanism. Stack the chips at the back of a border for a few months to rot down a bit before using them to mulch around trees and shrubs.
Pine Needles
If you can't get hold of a shredder you can still make a mulch from the pine needles. Store the Christmas tree on the patio until the needles all fall off and then collect them up to mulch acid loving / ericaceous plants.
Support for Climbers
The bare tree can be used in the garden border for climbers such as sweet peas to climb up.
Composting
You can start a new compost pile or bin. The best base for a new compost pile is a layer of thin branches. This allows a bit of airflow at the bottom of the pile, and the branches will break down over time. Trim them & stack them four to six inches high and then start adding your kitchen scraps and other compostables as usual.
Insect Habitats
Alternatively the trunk and branches can be cut into short lengths to create habitat for bugs and insects.
Don't Burn it
If you have a fireplace or wood burner you may be tempted to burn your tree, however this is generally inadvisable and potentially dangerous. Your tree is still quite moist and so the wood will need to be seasoned before it can be burnt efficiently. Firs, spruces and pines all have a high sap content that can burn quickly and explosively, and can potentially cause fires in your room or in the chimney. These types of trees can create a lot of creosote which can build up on chimney walls and later catch fire.
Recycling Centres
Norfolk recycling centres will accept Christmas trees for free. If you have a garden waste bin then your tree can be disposed of in there. Additionally, some local councils (such as Broadland) will collect a tree left out next to the garden waste bin, but it's best to check with your local authority.
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