A guide to recycle your Christmas trees

After Christmas, one of the issues to address is how to properly dispose of Christmas trees depending on the respective councils. Recycled, chipped or thrown away in the black bin, it depends what type of tree people choose.
“If they have a garden the best is to try to wood chip it or to put it into small pieces and use it in the garden,” said Dr Paul Caplat, an ecologist at Queen's University Belfast.
"It can be used as compost in the garden and that means that the carbon is sequestered for a long time.
“If it goes with garden waste and is used to make compost, even industrial compost, it is pretty good,” said Dr Caplat.
Concerning potted trees, this type of tree can be replanted in a garden or another pot.
They can be used each year until they become too large to be taken out of the soil.
“For the rooted trees, it depends how they've grown. If they've grown in the pot they can stay in the pot.
Granted that the pot is big enough and like for any plant you probably need to replant them once in a while or they can be put in again in real soil in the garden,” said Dr Caplat.
Both the Mid-Ulster District Council and Causeway Coast and Glens Council accept natural christmas trees for recycling.
In the Causeway Coast and Glens Council the advice is to bring the natural Christmas tree to the local household recycling centre for composting. The wood chipping might be used in gardens, parks and other green places of your local area.
“If it is a real christmas tree, we can accept those for recycling with the green waste”, said a spokesperson for Mid Ulster Council.
“People can bring it to a recycling centre or if they are able to cut the tree in small sections, they can place it in their brown bin.
“We do not really do anything with artificials Christmas trees other than general waste. People can bring it to the recycling centre or put it in their black bin.
“There is no real recycling option for the artificials Christmas trees unfortunately.”
Artificial trees, decorations, and Christmas wreaths in a good state might be accepted in charity shops and their lives might continue for years.