Give your Christmas tree a proper farewell

After being such an important part of the festive period, your Christmas tree definitely deserves a proper send off.

Don’t throw your Christmas tree in your general waste bin – no matter if it’s real or artificial – there are a number of ways to recycle it in Greater Manchester. Read on to make sure you know how to recycle your tree.

Real Christmas tree

Before recycling your Christmas tree please:

  1. Remove all decorations and fairy lights
  2. Take off the base or wooden block if your tree has one

Depending on where you live, you might be able to recycle your real tree at home – check your local council’s service and advice.

You can put some real Christmas trees in your food and garden bin at home. If you’re going to recycle your tree this way, make sure you cut it up first. The other thing to remember is that your tree trunk can’t be any thicker than your wrist. You can take large trunks and wooden bases to your local recycling centres.

Looking for local drop off points? You can take your Christmas tree to any of the 20 recycling centres in Greater Manchester for free. Just make sure you transport your tree safely and take note of the 2-metre height barrier! 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.

Donate it to charity – JustHelping

You can also arrange a collection through JustHelping, a national charity who provides Christmas tree collection services in partnership with hospices and charities.

If you’re living in the below postcode, why not consider donating your Christmas tree for a good cause – register your tree today!

Manchester: M1, M2, M3, M4, M14, M15, M16, M17, M19, M20, M21, M22, M23, M25, M26, M31, M38, M45

Salford: M3, M5, M6, M27, M28, M30, M44, M50

Trafford: WA14, WA15, M32, M33, M41

Stockport: SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8

Bury: BL0, BL8, BL9

Artificial Christmas tree

Thinking of reusing your artificial tree next year? That’s great! You just need to remove any decorations and fairy lights and store it well back into the box.

If you don’t need your tree anymore, you can bring it to your local recycling centre as long as it doesn’t have any lights attached. If it’s in good condition, place it in the donation container to help stock our Renew shops where preloved household items are sold at an affordable price. You can also look for other donation points such as your local charity shops.

Recycle for Greater Manchester