Christmas tree collection Leeds 2020: how to recycle your real tree - and date you should leave it out

A few weeks after painstakingly putting up your Christmas tree and making sure your meticulous decorating is near-perfect comes the time when it needs to be taken back down again.

Dismantling the tree in January is always a sad moment as it symbolises the end of the fun festive period - and a return to work for most people.

Fortunately, there’s one good thing that can come from taking down a real Christmas tree, as you are able to easily recycle it so it doesn’t go to waste.

They can be shredded into wood chippings which are then often used in parks and woodland areas, or turned into compost.

Arranging a collection is totally worth it, as disposing a real Christmas tree properly can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 80 percent.

You may have spent hours lovingly decorating your tree, but at some point it’s got to go - so here’s when you can get it picked up over the festive period.

How can I recycle my tree in Leeds?

In the UK, most local councils will collect Christmas trees as part of their regular rubbish collection, but different councils have different requirements for this.

Leeds City Council does not offer this service, but there’s still plenty of ways you can recycle your tree.

Real Christmas trees can be taken to your nearest recycling centre, and put in the green or garden waste skips.

They will then be composted and made into soil conditioner for use in land restoration projects.

Remember to remove all your decorations before putting your tree in the skip.

To find your nearest recycling centre, you can use this link on the council website and you will need to book a slot before visiting.

The centres are:

Kirkstall

Meanwood

Middleton

Otley (Ellar Ghyll)

Pudsey

Seacroft

Wetherby (Thorp Arch)

Yeadon

Don't forget to bring your Leeds Resident Permit with you when you visit one of the household waste recycling centres, as you could be refused entry if you do not have a permit.

How else can I recycle my tree?

St Gemma’s Hospice runs a fantastic tree recycling service for some Leeds residents.

They will collect your real Christmas tree at your house, in return for a minimum £10 donation.

In the new year, the service is running from Thursday 7 January until Monday 11 January 2021, and online booking is now open.

All you need to do is register your tree to be collected using this form.

The charity will be collecting in the following postcodes: LS6, LS7, LS8, LS14, LS15, LS16, LS17, LS18, LS28.

Once you have booked, all you need to do is leave your tree in the place you have specified in your booking, by 8am on Thursday 7 January.

Your tree will then be picked up during the designated collection week.

What other Christmas items can be recycled?

Other Christmas items can be recycled too, so you can further reduce your carbon footprint.

That includes recyclable Christmas wrapping paper, cardboard boxes from packaging, Christmas cards with glitter or bows removed, and clean tin foil from Christmas food like turkey and mince pies.

These can all be recycled if you place them in the appropriate bin for collection.