Jan
Christmas is like a distant memory now, isn’t it? Once the January blues have settled in and spring air is just around the corner, the festive season is always seen as a thing of the past. And while you might have taken down your Christmas tree and stored away the decorations for another year, the likelihood is the remains of that withering tree are still lingering in your garden or shed, a shadow of its former glory.
So what next for your used Christmas tree? Don’t leave it to suffer and fade away in the garden and don’t just go dispose of it at a landfill. You can put your old tree to good use.
Here are some key ideas for what to do with the carcass of your Christmas tree:
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Recycle it with your local authority
There really is no excuse for dumping your tree at a landfill when most local authorities operate tree-recycling schemes. All you’ve got to do is wrap it up in netting or tie it, pop both ends into sacks and bring it to your nearest recycling point. If you can’t drop it off, contact your local council to see if their recycling team are picking up trees on their rounds.
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Drop it to your garden centre
Many garden centres will also welcome the drop-off of old Christmas trees. They frequently recycle old Christmas trees, transforming them into wood chippings for sale or even re-potting and re-planting the tree.
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Use the needles as mulch
Those slow decomposing pine needles make for excellent mulch material for your fruit and vegetable patches or to enhance your garden soil. They are ideal for keeping moisture and mould away from ground crops too. If you’re not a fan of growing your own fruit and veg, offer the needles to friends, family or to a local gardening group.
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Chop up for festive firewood
Get real return on your investment by turning it into firewood. The branches can be used as kindling for outdoor fires but not indoor fires, however, burning Christmas tree branches may emit creosote, a harmful chemical. Chop up the base for use as firewood too. Be careful to ensure the tree is completely tinsel and decoration free before burning!
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Bring it back to the shop
Not for a refund obviously! A lot of Christmas tree sellers tend to offer a drop back policy where you can return your tree after the Christmas and they will dispose of it for you as part of the price originally paid for the tree.
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Get creative
Many people use the large trunks of the Christmas tree to create decorative ornaments. You can easily create coasters, hanging decorations and other decorative elements by slicing up the trunk into discs, leaving them to dry out for a couple of weeks and coating them with smothering lacquer. Allow your artistic capabilities to test the creative possibilities of old Christmas tree wood.
And there you have it – 6 great things to do with your old Christmas tree. No excuses for dumping!
