Christmas tree recycling

Real Christmas trees can be recycled after you have finished using them. It can be recycled into compost, just like your food and garden waste.

How to recycle your real Christmas tree

We will not collect trees presented beside your green bin.

Put your real Christmas tree in your green bin

  • Remove all the decorations, base or support blocks. You can put the base or support blocks in your grey bin
  • Chop your Christmas tree into small, manageable pieces
  • Place your chopped real tree into the green bin. Ensure the lid of your bin closes

Over the festive period some bin collections will change with no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years’ Day. To see if this will affect you check your bin collection calendar.

Take your real Christmas tree to a collection point

If you cannot place your tree in your green bin, you can take it to a collection point. Collection points are open from Tuesday 2 January to Tuesday 16 January. You can drop your real tree at the following locations:

An assigned area will be marked off in each of the listed locations. Ensure you have removed all the decorations, base or support blocks before taking your tree to a collection point.

We will start collecting trees from Tuesday 2 January. The last collection day is Saturday 20 January. Any trees left after this date will be classed as fly-tipping; this is an offence which can lead to a fine. 

Take your Christmas tree to your local recycling centre

You can take your real Christmas to a recycling centre. Visit Recycle for Greater Manchester to find your nearest recycling centre. 

You can also contribute it to support charity through Just Helping, a supporter of St. Ann’s Hospice and Francis House. You can register your tree with Just Helping.

You can also dispose of your artificial tree at the recycling centre in the general waste.