Christmas tree collection Sheffield 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 Sheffield?

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.

Sheffield City Council doesn’t offer this service, but there are still other ways you can recycle your real Christmas tree.

For another year, gardeners Mitchel Ingham of JM Groundcare and Joel Berry of Berry’s Trees and Gardens are running their Christmas tree pick-up service.

Every penny they make is donated to Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Last year, the duo raised £13,460 for The Children's Hospital Charity and they’re looking to surpass that total in 2021.

When can my tree be collected?

Christmas Tree Collection’s website is now live and ready to take bookings, and yours will be collected between 7 January and 14 January 2021.

You must put out the tree for collection by the morning of 7 January.

All the company asks is that you leave your tree - which must be whole, not chopped up - in a convenient location where they can see it.

It should also be free of all decorations, and the base should be removed if possible.

A single tree under 7 feet costs £10 to pick up, while larger trees cost £20. Bulk collection is also available.

The initiative will be collecting Christmas Trees in 2021 in the following postcode areas: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12, S13, S14, S17, S18, S20, S21 and S35.

They will also be collecting from S60 and S61 postcodes in Rotherham for the first time.

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.