07903853136 The holidays are over, you’ve gained a few kilos at the very least and now there’s a slowly deteriorating Christmas tree in your living room – how do you dispose of it?
A lot of people just chuck theirs next to their bins hoping that the bin-men will come around to collect it, if you’ve done this before, you’ll know well enough that often they won’t. You will just be left with a rotting Xmas tree on your front porch. I’m assuming that everyone reading this would like to avoid that scenario so let’s look at how to properly dispose of your Christmas tree, including Christmas tree recycling.
How to dispose of a Christmas tree?
Something to note here is that these options only apply to real trees. Artificial trees should either be recycled according to manufacturer instructions or can be given away to charity shops if they’re in good condition.
Also, this should be quite obvious, but please do remove any decorations from the tree before disposing of it. A Christmas tree can be recycled but a Christmas tree with tinsel and baubles on it cannot – that’s waste contamination.
Here are the different ways in which you can dispose of your Christmas tree:
Hire A Rubbish Removal Company
These are services that will come and collect your Christmas tree and any other household waste for you, then dispose of it correctly, ensuring to recycle as much of it as possible. This is a convenient option if you’re a busy individual since it’s fast, hands-off, safer for you (no blowing your back out this year when struggling with your Xmas tree) and it’s fairly cheap. If this sounds like the perfect option for you, be sure to check out our residential waste removal services.
It’s also the perfect opportunity to throw away any other rubbish that you’ve been hoarding.
Dispose Of Your Xmas Tree At A Recycling Centre
If you fancy doing the heavy lifting yourself, you can opt to drop your Christmas tree off at your local recycling centre. Most recycling centres will require you to cut your tree into 4ft lengths (around 1m) before you can dispose of your tree.
It’s worth considering that if you wish to drop your tree off during January, you may want to go during work hours as otherwise, it’s going to be quite busy – often requiring quite a lengthy wait to get into the recycling centre. Most people will take the opportunity to also throw away all other household waste that’s accumulated over the year so you may end up waiting in line for a good few hours.
Replant It
If you have a garden big enough to accommodate a Christmas tree, why not replant it? Not only does this save you from having to buy a new Christmas tree next year, but it’s also good for the environment as you’re adding another oxygen-producing tree into the mix.
Note – this is only possible if the tree has a rootball still attached to it. If it’s been cut, you won’t be able to replant it.
Replanting a Christmas tree is very straightforward although the longer you keep the tree inside, the less likely it is to survive when you replant it so you may want to take it down early. To give it the best chance of surviving, follow these steps:
- Take it outside and place it somewhere cold and sheltered for a few days.
- Dig a hole that’s three times the size of your tree’s rootball.
- Plant the tree and take good care of it throughout the year.
Why Hiring A Rubbish Removal Company Is The Best Option
As I touched on earlier, hiring a rubbish removal company is a great option if you’re a busy individual, someone who doesn’t fancy waiting in a traffic jam for hours or don’t want to risk harming yourself whilst disposing of your Christmas tree. Let’s quickly look at the advantages in more detail:
- Faster – rubbish removal companies hire professionals who know how to handle, recycle and dispose of each type of waste. They will collect your Christmas tree, along with any other waste, in no time and be on their way.
- Cheaper – Surely removing it yourself is more cost-effective? Well, it can be but there are a lot of unseen costs that come with doing it yourself – such as PPE, bin bags, the cost of the petrol needed to go to the recycling centre etc. As well as the cost of opportunity, what else could you do with the few hours it takes to dispose of your Christmas tree?
Safer – lifting anything that is heavy poses a risk to your health, especially if you’re not lifting it correctly. Our professionals wear the correct PPE for each job and dispose of your rubbish in a way that is both safe for you and for them.
Summary
Hopefully, this article has helped you decide how you’re going to dispose of your Christmas tree. If you are interested in our removal services, don’t hesitate to give us a ring or contact us for a quick quote.
We operate in Durham and the surrounding areas.