It might sound a little Scrooge to talk about getting rid of the Christmas tree before the event ends, but it can help knowing what to do before the 12th night.
Most councils have a facility to collect and recycle real Christmas trees, although this varies from good door-to-door collection services to waiting for you to lug it around yourself to a location that is not very convenient to access if you do not own a car.
They all have pretty much the same rules: remove all decorations and no heavy earthen pots. Some tips ask you to cut the tree into smaller pieces.
Check their websites for details.
A festive corner of the ianVisits tours
Barking and Dagenham
No collection service, but you can take them to designated parking lots, albeit on only three specific dates, or at the tip of Frizlands Lane.
All the details
Barnet
Real Christmas trees will be collected until January 2022 until the end of the month.
Make sure your real Christmas tree has all of the decorations and lights removed, is cut in half, and is placed at your property line in January. Specific collection dates do not seem to be offered.
All the details
Bexley
Christmas trees will be collected from households that have subscribed to the garden waste collection service from Monday, January 10, 2022.
Alternatively, you can take the tree to Crayford or Foots Cray recycling centers.
All the details
Brent
If you’ve signed up for their garden collection service, cut the tree down and put it in yard waste. Alternatively, you can organize a special collection for a fee or take the tip from the council on Abbey Road.
All the details
Bromley
Residents who are members of the garden’s green garbage collection service can use this service to recycle their real Christmas trees. Trees should be placed in recycling bins and decomposed if necessary.
Temporary recycling centers for Christmas trees will be open on Saturday January 9 or Sunday January 10, 2022 at four locations, or can be brought to both city councils.
All the details
Camden
Collection points will be available from January 3 to 14, 2022.
Pickups are only available if you have a garden waste collection service or if you arrange to pay for the pickup as part of their large household item collection service.
All the details
City of London
Trees should be brought to the collection points advertised on their website and to the estates immediately after Christmas.
All the details
Croydon
To be confirmed – but usually collects from the front gardens in January.
All the details
Ealing
Between January 4 and 29, 2022, you can leave your tree at the edge of your property to have it collected for recycling. The trees will be picked up on the same day as your waste collection (black bin) every other week.
Tree trunks should be no more than 8 inches in diameter or more than six feet tall (taller trees can be cut in half) and make sure all decorations are removed. The service is in place only for real trees, not for synthetic trees.
Alternatively, you can also bring your Christmas tree to municipal parks and classified green spaces until January 29, 2022, or to selected recycling centers.
All the details
Enfield
Home collections can be booked by appointment between January 10 and 21, 2022, or if you pay for the garden waste service, you can put it in your green bin.
Otherwise, local collection points will be an option until January 30, 2022.
All the details
Greenwich
Unknown – no information could be found on their website (again).
Hackney
The trees will be picked up from your home from January 3 to January 14, 2022 on the day of garbage and recycling collection. Put your tree on the front line of your property by 6 a.m., with all decorations removed.
People living in apartments put the trees next to the municipal bins.
You can also bring your tree to the Millfields depot between January 4 and 30.
All the details
Hammersmith and Fulham
If you normally get a street garbage pickup, just leave your tree where you would leave your garbage between January 3 and January 21, 2022.
There are also 10 designated drop-off points in the council area.
All the details
Haringey
Pickups are free if you live on a curbside property with a yard waste collection service. Cut your tree into smaller pieces (maximum length 1 meter or 3 feet) and extinguish it with your usual collection.
Christmas trees can also be taken to the Haringey Reuse and Recycling Center in Wood Green.
Alternatively, you can take them to one of the five designated sites – this service is only offered for four weeks after Christmas Day.
All the details
Harrow
Seems to be limited to bringing the tree to the recycling center.
All the details
Havering
If you have a garden waste collection, put a cut tree in the collection bin or take it to the Gerpins Lane recycling center.
Otherwise, there is a collection point at Gidea Park Sports Ground on Saturday January 8, 2022 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
All the details
Hillingdon
You can recycle Christmas trees with the usual yard waste collection, if they are cut down. Alternatively, the tree can be taken to a recycling center, or arrange for collection with their bulky waste service.
If you live in an apartment, they have a collection request line open from Monday January 10.
All the details
Hounslow
Pickups in the streets between January 10 and 21, 2022 – on specific dates.
There are also six drop points around the area open between December 24 and January 28. People living in apartments should speak to their property management for more details.
(yes, you can drop off your unwanted Christmas tree on Christmas Eve which seems to be pretty miserable in some homes)
All the details
Islington
If you have a household garbage collection, leave the tree on the normal collection date between January 4 and January 15, 2022.
You can also drop off your tree at local collection points between January 2 and 17.
All the details
Kensington and Chelsea
Garbage collection on your usual collection date between January 3 and 21, 2022.
You can also bring your tree to the drop-off points in the municipality between January 2 and January 23, 2022.
All the details
Kingston-upon-thames
Details to be confirmed – generally collected from households at the end of January.
All the details
Lambeth
To be confirmed – but usually collected from home or can be taken to local collection points.
All the details
Lewisham
If you have a garden bin, you can use it to recycle your real Christmas tree. It is enough to cut it into pieces no more than 10 cm thick and 50 cm long.
Otherwise, collection points will be open – details to be confirmed however.
All the details
Merton
Take out your real Christmas tree before Monday January 10 and it will be collected by the end of the month.
Alternatively, you can cut your tree down and put it in your garden wheelie bin, if you are a subscriber to the service. Or you can take it to the Reuse and Recycling Center in Morden.
All the details
Newham
Garden waste collections are currently suspended.
All the details
Pont-Rouge
Place your tree at your property line by Monday January 10, 2021, and they will be collected over a 2 week period.
You can also take the tree to the Chigwell Road Reuse and Recycling Center.
All the details
Richmond-upon-Thames
They will collect your real Christmas tree for recycling on the normal garden waste collection day on your street between January 4 and 14, 2022.
There are also seven drop-off points open during the same period, and Townmead Road Council accepts them.
All the details
Southwark
To be confirmed – but can usually be collected from those responsible for garden waste collection or to be taken to city council.
All the details
Sutton
TBC – but usually they collect from mid January or you can go to the local council dumpster.
All the details
Hamlets of the Tower
To be confirmed – but generally they collect from mid-January
All the details
Waltham Forest
Take it to a local recycling center and recycling center or if you have an organic curbside collection, drop it off next to your brown bin.
All the details
Wandsworth
The collections will be made on the usual waste collection dates and you must leave the tree with the usual waste on the morning of the collection.
People living in apartment buildings should leave trees next to common trash cans, or you can bring the tree to Smugglers Way Council Point.
All the details
Westminster
You can drop off your tree at a relay point between Tuesday, December 28, 2021 and until the end of the day on Tuesday, January 11, 2022
All the details