How and where you can recycle your Christmas tree in the South West
They've played a big part in making our homes feel festive, but it will soon be time to get rid of your Christmas tree.
For people who opted for the real thing this year, here's a summary of key collection and recycling information from across the West Country
Bath and North East Somerset
Real trees will be collected by the council free of charge on garden waste collection days between January 18 and February 12, even if residents don’t have a green bin.
Trees should be cut up small enough to fit in the lorry and be free of decorations. Alternatively, they can be taken to a council recycling centre.
Bristol
Bristol Waste will be collecting trees for free again this year, on the same day as your rubbish collection from Monday 11 January.
The organisation is asking Bristol residents to put out their tree alongside their normal refuse or recycling.
The tree must be real and must be no longer than two metres.
Cornwall
Cornwall Council will be collecting non-artificial Christmas trees, up to 6ft in height, on normal collection days in the weeks beginning Monday 11 January and Monday 18 January. Collections will be made on your normal collection day on the opposite week to your recycling during this fortnight only.
Dorset
Dorset Council does not collect real Christmas trees at the kerbside. You can cut your real tree into small pieces and put it in your garden waste bin or they can be taken to your local Household Recycling Centre and placed in the garden waste container for composting, free of charge.
Artificial Christmas trees will also not be collected by Dorset Council.
Devon
East Devon
After Christmas, there will be tree drop off points in East Devon. Otherwise, you can take Christmas trees to the Recycling Centres at Knowle (Exmouth) Sutton Barton (Wilmington) and Sidmouth.
Exeter
Registered garden waste customers can put real trees with their brown wheelie bin on the first collection of the season. You can also take Christmas trees to the Recycling Centres at Pinbrook Road (Pinhoe) and Exton Road (Marsh Barton).
Teignbridge
Registered garden waste customers can put their real trees in their garden waste collection. You can also take Christmas trees to the Recycling Centre at Brunel Road (Newton Abbot).
Mid Devon
Registered garden waste customers can put out with the brown wheelie bin for collections scheduled in January. Maximum trunk size 15cm in diameter. You can also take Christmas trees to the Recycling Centres at Punchbowl (Crediton) and Ashley (Tiverton).
South Hams
Christmas trees up to 6 foot can be placed next to the brown bin. You can also take Christmas trees to the Recycling Centres at Ivybridge, Torr Quarry and Totnes.
Torridge
Residents with green wheelie bins can cut up their Christmas Trees and recycle them through the fortnightly collection process. Please ensure that there are no branches over 1 metre in length or 4cm in diameter. You can also take your Christmas trees to the Recycling Centres at Bideford, Deep Moor or Anvil Corner.
West Devon
If you subscribe to the garden waste service, you can put your real Christmas Tree out for recycling alongside your green sacks between 6 January and 24 January 2020. You can also take your Christmas trees to the Recycling Centre Crowndale or Okehampton.
Plymouth
Plymouth City Council will NOT be picking up Christmas trees from outside homes. You can take your tree to your nearest recycling centre, Chelson Meadow or Weston Mill.
Torbay
For those with real Christmas trees, SWISCo will be shredding them in the New Year from 9am to 12pm at Town Hall Car Park, Torquay, the Recycling Centre, Paignton and Brixham College, Ranscombe Road, Brixham on Sunday 3 and Sunday 10 January 2021.
North Devon
If you’re a subscriber, Christmas trees can be cut up and recycled in your green garden waste bin. You can also take Christmas trees to the Recycling Centres at Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and South Molton.
Gloucestershire
Gloucester
If you subscribe to the garden waste service, you can chop up your Christmas tree and put in your green garden waste bin (make sure all decorations are removed and the lid of your bin is closed).
If you are not a member of the garden waste service you can take your real tree to Robinswood Hill car park from Monday 4 January until Tuesday 12 January 2021 between 8.30am to 4pm or to the Eastern Avenue Depot from Monday 4 January until Friday 8 January 2021 between 4:30pm to 6pm.
South Gloucestershire
If you have a garden waste subscription you can cut up the tree and put it in your green bin, or you can put the whole tree next to your green bin if it is under 6ft tall.
If you do not have a garden waste subscription, you can buy a garden waste sack from your local library and attach it to your tree with string and request a one-off garden waste collection. Trees can also be recycled at your local recycling centre.
Cheltenham
You can take your Christmas tree to one of the following drop off points:
Swindon Road Recycling Centre – anytime during opening hours
Cheltenham Racecourse – New Barn Lane (2-17 January 2021)
Cheltenham Football Club – Whaddon Road (2-17 January 2021)
Old Patesians Rugby Club - Everest Road (2-17 January 2021)
Cheltenham B&Q – Hatherley Lane (2-17 January 2021)
If you are a garden waste customer leave your tree out with your garden waste bin on your first collection after 18 January 2021 and it will be collected.
Forest of Dean
All Forest of Dean residents wanting to recycle their real Christmas trees will be able to leave them out for collection between Monday 6 and Friday 17 January 2020 on their normal garden waste collection day.
Garden waste collections take place on the alternate week to the refuse collection for most properties.
Cotswolds
Real Christmas trees can be taken to the following Garden Centres after Christmas Day for recycling up until 17 January 2021:
Dobbies Garden Centre, Cirencester
Batsford Garden Centre, Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh
Hillier Garden Centre, Lechlade
Please check garden centre websites for their opening times.
Residents who subscribe to our garden waste recycling collection service will be able to recycle used real Christmas trees by placing them in their green coloured bin.
Stroud
This year, instead of providing skips for Christmas trees, Stroud District Council is asking its residents to take part in Longfield’s door-to-door real tree collection.
Collections can be made from homes, businesses, schools, pubs and hotels, and must be registered on or before Monday 4 January. To book a collection and make a donation, visit www.stroud.gov/xmastree.
North Somerset
North Somerset residents will be able to put real Christmas trees out (without decorations) on their first garden waste collection after Monday 18 January and it will be taken for recycling.
Somerset
Decoration-free real trees can be composted at home, taken to any recycling site, or garden waste subscribers can add them to their collection. Usual garden waste collections resume on Monday 11 January.
Wiltshire
People who pay to have their garden waste collected can put their real Christmas tree out alongside their garden waste bin on their first collection day in January so that Wiltshire Council can collect it for composting.