---
title: "Where do Christmas trees go? Garden waste collection"
description: "Real trees: council collection or the household waste centre, where they are chipped. Artificial: reuse, then general waste. Why that route, what goes wrong on the w"
url: https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/christmas-trees/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Where do Christmas trees go?

**Where do Christmas trees go?: Real trees: council collection or the household waste centre, where they are chipped. Artificial: reuse, then general waste.**

Garden waste collection

Most councils run a January collection or drop-off points for real trees, which are shredded into chippings for parks and paths. Take every scrap of decoration off first — tinsel and lametta wreck a shredder and contaminate the chip. Flocked and artificially snowed trees are usually refused because the coating is plastic. Artificial trees are mixed PVC and steel with no recycling route, so the only meaningful improvement is using one for many years and passing it on rather than binning it.

## How to prepare it

1. Strip every decoration, hook and strand of tinsel.
2. Cut the tree down if your collection has a size limit.
3. Take the pot and stand off; they are not part of the green waste.

## What not to do

- Never leave decorations on a tree going for chipping.
- Never put an artificial tree in the recycling; it is PVC and steel bonded together.

> Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

## Other things that go to garden waste collection

- [Grass cuttings, prunings and leaves](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/garden-waste/) — Garden waste collection or home composting. Keep soil, stones and treated timber out of it.

## Common questions

### Where do Christmas trees go?

Real trees: council collection or the household waste centre, where they are chipped. Artificial: reuse, then general waste.

### What happens if you put Christmas trees in the wrong bin?

Never leave decorations on a tree going for chipping. Never put an artificial tree in the recycling; it is PVC and steel bonded together.

## Related pages

- [Where do Grass cuttings, prunings and leaves go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/garden-waste/)
- [Where do Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/batteries/)
- [Where do Lithium-ion batteries go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/lithium-batteries/)
- [Where do Vapes and disposable e-cigarettes go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/vapes/)
- [Where do Medicines and tablets go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/medicines/)
- [Where do Pizza boxes go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/pizza-boxes/)
- [Where do Leftover wet paint go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/paint-wet/)

## Sources

- US Environmental Protection Agency — EPA (https://www.epa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]