Christmas tree recycling: what are the options?

Christmas tree recycling - 7 alternative options after 12th night

what to do with a christmas tree
(Image credit: Squire Garden Centres)

The Christmas tree recycling dilemma is one that many people who've opted for a real tree have after twelfth night (6 January), or even earlier if some London streets are anything to go by. But there are more options than taking it to the local Christmas tree graveyard or sticking it beside the bin and hoping the council will recycle it.

Thankfully, this year, the folks at Squires Garden Centres have a few clever ideas about what to do with a Christmas tree once the festivities are over. 

1 SECOND LIFE

Use the tree as a stake – strip off the pine needles and use the trunk as a fantastic frame for flowers or runner beans to grow up.

what to do with a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Alamy)

2 PROTECT PLANTS

Chop off the branches and lay them on top of your flowerbeds to protect them from frost.

what to do with a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Alamy)

3 ANIMAL SHELTER

Create a wildlife habitat - put your tree or branches in the corner of your garden and it will make a great shelter for wildlife from the cold, wind and rain.

what to do with a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Alamy)

4 BIRD FEEDER

Place your tree in a heavy pot in the garden so that it doesn’t tip over, and hang different bird feeders on the branches to attract peckish sparrows and other feathered friends into your garden.

what to do with a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Alamy)

5 FUEL THE FIRE PIT

Chop up the branches, wait for them to dry out, then when the weather gets warmer use as firewood in an outdoor fire pit, it'll smell lovely too. (Don’t use the wood indoors as it can get extremely hot).

Not on the High Street

(Image credit: Not on the High Street)

6 MAKE MULCH

If you have a shredder, cut the branches off the tree then put them in the shredder one by one. Use the mulch around garden trees or shrubs to improve the soil and suppress weeds.

what to do with a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Alamy)

7 REPLANT IT

If your tree is ‘pot grown’ then you can replant it in your garden and bring it in again next year. It'll make a charming annual ritual - and helps both the pocket and the planet. 

what to do with a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Alamy)

8 RECYCLE IT

See what schemes your local council are running. Many will now collect your tree from your road so there’s no need for that trip to the dump.

what to do with a christmas tree

(Image credit: Squire Garden Centres)

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Contributor

Jacky Parker is a freelance lifestyle journalist and writer, producing a wide range of features for magazines and digital platforms. She has written for Livingetc and its sister titles, Homes & Gardens and Country Homes & Interiors for more than 15 years, both as a freelance contributor and as Acting Digital Editor and Acting Style Content Editor, regularly reporting on the latest interiors, gardens and wellness inspiration, speaking to experts in their respective fields, and discovering the best tips.

Jacky has also written for other publications, including Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, ELLE Decoration, Red, Grand Designs and more.