The mince pies have been eaten, the last of your festive guests have finally left. Christmas is over. But what do you do with that increasingly patchy tree, dropping pine needles all over your carpet? After being such an important part of the festive period, your Christmas tree deserves a proper send off. Whether it is real or artificial, take off all decorations.
Don’t throw your Christmas tree in your general waste bin – no matter if it’s real or artificial – there are a few ways to recycle it in Greater Manchester.
You can take your Christmas tree to any of the 20 recycling centres in Greater Manchester for free so there will be on in your area. Just make sure you transport your tree safely. You can also get rid of your artificial trees and any unwanted decorations too.
If you’re planning on using a van, pick-up truck or a twin-axle trailer to dispose of your tree, you need to apply for a permit. Get it as soon as possible, don’t leave it too late!
You can register for your real tree to be collected right from your front door for in exchange for a small donation to local charity, Just Helping. Once collected, your tree will be made into woodchips and used on flower beds and paths in local parks and gardens.
Just Helping collect Christmas trees from across Greater Manchester, including Bury, Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford. You can register your collection between the 15th November until 10th January.
Just Helping launched in 2012, the Christmas tree collection project has grown from a local effort into a nationwide campaign raising a whopping £5.6 million of vital funds for charities across the UK.
In 2024, the Greater Manchester collection raised £94,861.86 for St Ann’s Hospice, Francis House, Children’s Hospice, WeloveMCR and other charities in Greater Manchester. But it’s not only the charities that benefit. Recycling real Christmas trees prevents 82,112kg of carbon dioxide emissions being released.