If you had a real Christmas tree this year, you might be starting to think how to get it (and all the needles) out of your house now the big festive day is over. You can recycle your Christmas tree if you feel able to cut it up and put it in to your recycling bin, or take it your local tip.
Or you can let a local charity do the hard work for you - for a donation of your choice Manchester-based Just Helping will collect your Christmas tree and recycle it, all in aid of St Ann's Hospice. Just Helping will be running their Christmas Tree collection across all of Manchester, Trafford, Salford and this year the Stockport postcodes SK7 and SK8.
The St Ann’s Hospice Christmas Tree Collection will take place from 12th and 15th January 2023. The collection has been run by community volunteers, sponsors and donors for more than 10 years in partnership with St Ann’s Hospice who receive 80% of the net proceeds with the remainder distributed to other local charities.
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Last year, more than 3500 trees were donated and recycled raising more than £50,000 for charity. The trees are recycled and turned into wood chippings which are then used across parks in Greater Manchester.
Dr Paul Jarvis, Director of Business Development at St Ann's Hospice, said: “As an organisation, we need to raise around £20,000 a day to keep our services running, and we need the support of our local communities now more than ever.
"We can only keep our doors open if we continue to raise the money we need - the care of patients both now and in the future is reliant on your support, so thank you for taking part in this Christmas tree scheme. We really appreciate everything you do for St Ann's and the people we care for."
By recycling the trees to be turned into wood chippings, it saves them from landfill. This ensures that throughout their life they absorb more carbon than is created in the recycling process - making them carbon negative.
How to donate your Christmas tree to charity
You can follow this link below or click here, where you can register your tree, give a donation of your choice, and Just Helping will pick it up from your home between Thursday 12th - Sunday 15th January 2023.
Registration closes on Sunday 8th January 2023 at 9pm. You need to decant any decorations, take the tree out of the pot (if it has one) or remove the base - as these cannot be removed or recycled.
Your tree must be ready to collect by 8am on Thursday 12 th January, and your tree must be left in a clear, unobstructed, and visible location. If possible, without causing obstruction - on the path in front of your property.
Due to Health and Safety policy charity volunteers are unable to, under any circumstances, enter your property (e.g. house, garden, gated driveway) or any confined or restricted space to access your tree.
Are there other ways to recycle your tree?
Wherever you live in Greater Manchester you can take your real Christmas tree or your artificial tree that is beyond reuse to your local recycling centre for free.
You can also recycle your Christmas tree by cutting it up and placing it in your food and garden waste bin - but you must make sure the trunk is not thicker than your wrist.
Wood thicker than your wrist is too big and can’t be put in the garden and food bin. Large trunks and wooden bases have to be taken to a recycling centre.
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