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! Last date to apply for a permit time for Christmas is 19th December.
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. Tree collection registration will close at 23:59pm on 5th January 2026.
Just Helping, the Manchester-born charity, is once again gearing up for its 2026 Christmas Tree Collection, a campaign that brings together environmental sustainability and community spirit.
Since launching in 2012, the initiative has grown into a nationwide movement, raising over £7 million for charities across the UK. In 2025, Manchester’s collection raised an incredible £117,000 for Moya Cole Hospice (formerly St Ann’s Hospice), Francis House Children’s Hospice, Seashell trust, food banks, community groups and other Greater Manchester charities, while preventing 85,000 kg of CO₂ emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
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