Cornwall residents told to pay for disposal of unwanted Christmas trees

People in Cornwall are being asked to think before buying a real Christmas tree this year - with the council set to charge for their removal in the New Year.

In previous years, Cornwall Council has collected unwanted trees post-festivities in January for free.

But this year, in line with other local authorities, the council has said residents must pay a garden waste collection service subscription fee.

An annual subscription costs between £30 and £55.

People who do not wish to pay the fee have been encouraged to take their tree to a waste collection centre for composting, or buy one with roots that can be re-planted for next year.

‘We know some people will be disappointed’

Councillor Carol Mould: “We know that some people will be disappointed that we are unable to collect trees this year however this additional service costs a significant amount of money which is ultimately funded by council tax-payers.

“If people want to have a real Christmas tree, we urge them to think ahead and plan how they intend to dispose of it.”

If you subscribe to the council’s garden waste collection service, you can put your tree out next to your bin or bag on your usual garden waste collection day in the New Year.