Give your Christmas tree the gift of a second life by recycling it

Getting rid of a Christmas tree is a task which most of us dread in the new year, but local councils across Scotland are making it easier for us and offering to recycle them.

Glasgow City Council is one of many local authorities offering to take the trees once January comes, and they have lost their festive cheer, and turn them into wood chips to be used in parks.

Those of us with real trees can put the tree in the brown bin or take it to any council household waste recycling centre.

Real Christmas trees can also be taken to the following locations from 3 January until 31 January:

• Pollok Country Park, Burrell Car Park

• Alexandra Park, off Alexandra Parade, car park next to the golf course

• Kelvingrove Park, Kelvin Way, grass area opposite the bandstand.

Rory Young from Scottish Christmas Trees says if your New Year’s Resolution is to be more sustainable, having a real tree can help to kick start that goal:

“One of the really important things to stress is that growing a real Christmas tree is the true definition of sustainability. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate Christmas, and it gives you so many options for recycling the tree.”

Even if your council area does not yet offer Christmas tree recycling, Rory added that there are plenty of other eco-friendly ways to reuse your tree:

“They can be used for coastal defences and marine environments for fish. They’ve been used for bird perches and bug hotels. There’s lots and lots of options; you just have to be a little bit creative.

“It’s not just about recycling; it’s also about getting a second life from your tree. With a real tree, as opposed to an artificial tree, we have those choices. An artificial tree can’t be recycled and just ends up in landfill.”

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