Recycle your real Christmas Tree with St Luke's
This year, we are supporting St Luke’s Hospice’s Christmas tree Initiative.
St Luke’s Hospice’s wonderful team of volunteers will pick up your real Christmas tree from your doorstep between 10th – 11th January 2026.
A donation of £15 to St Luke’s Hospice to support palliative and end of life care in our community is encouraged for your collection.
Collected trees will be transformed into wood chips that will later be used within our local community.
Collection places are limited with Registrations closing on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.
If you have any questions about your Christmas Tree collection you can contact the St Luke’s team on community@stlukes-hospice.org or call Fundraising at St Luke’s Hospice on 020 8382 8000
Alternative ways to recycle your real Christmas tree
- Garden waste subscribers can place real Christmas trees in their garden waste bin. Please remove decorations and chop the tree up.
- Book a slot at our Recycling Centre
Please remember to remove all decorations, stands, netting, and pots before recycling your tree.
Artificial Trees
Artificial trees cannot be recycled.
- Book a slot at our Recycling Centre
- Book a bulky waste collection. Each household can arrange one free collection per year.
Recycle your leftovers
Did you know, approximately 74 million mince pies are discarded across the UK each year!
Plan ahead to reduce waste and reduce your costs.
Love Food Hate Waste have hints, tips, and recipes for re-using those festive treats.
They also share storage tips, so you may also be able to freeze excess food and enjoy it at a later date.
For peelings, tea bags, eggshells, and any food that you can’t re-use, remember to use your dedicated food recycling bin.
Top tips for recycling at Christmas
- Do the scrunch test on wrapping paper. If you can scrunch it and it stays in a ball without springing back, it can be recycled. If it doesn’t stay in a ball, it cannot be recycled as it is lined with plastic.
- Glitter cannot be recycled. Anything with glitter on must go in your general waste bin.
- Remove sticky tape from wrapping paper before recycling it.
Don’t let your recycling go to waste
Putting items that cannot be recycled into your blue recycling bin can cause a whole load to be wasted.
To see which everyday items you can recycle see Recycling Waste Bins.
For festive items, check what you can and cannot recycle below, and make sure you put the right thing, in the right bin.
Batteries
Batteries can cause fires if placed in any of your household bins.
Drop them off at your nearest recycling point, or take them to the Household Recycling Centre.
For more information, see Recycle your electricals
Bubble wrap & foam packaging
Bubble wrap and foam packaging cannot be recycled at home. Place these into your grey/green waste bin.
Christmas cards
Paper-based cards and envelopes can be recycled in your blue bin. Any embellishments such as ribbons, foil, or glitter should be torn off before recycling and placed into your general waste bin.
Christmas tree lights
Electrical items must not be placed into any of your household bins.
Christmas tree lights, along with other small electrical items can be recycled at some libraries, or taken to the Household Recycling Centre.
Crackers
Plastic and metal prizes cannot be recycled at home.
If your cracker does not have any foil, ribbon, or glitter on it, then the ‘snap’ can be removed and the rest of the cracker can be recycled in your blue bin.
If in doubt, leave it out.
Decorations
Decorations cannot be recycled at home. Take them to the Household Recycling Centre, or if they are still in a good, useable condition consider donating them at a local charity shop.
Mince pie cases
Empty foil mince pie cases can be placed in your blue recycling bin
Sweet wrappers
Sweet wrappers cannot be recycled at home.
Check if your local supermarket has a plastic bag collection point that will accept these. If not, place them in your black/green general waste bin
Wrapping paper
Do the scrunch test on wrapping paper.
If you can scrunch it and it stays in a ball without springing back, it can be recycled in your blue bin.
If it doesn’t stay in a ball, it cannot be recycled as it is lined with plastic.
Don’t forget to remove any glitter, ribbons, and sticky tape before recycling.
Textiles
Received an unwanted gift, or time to get rid of your old Christmas jumper?
We partner with Traid, a charity working to change fashion for good.
Find out how to book a free home collection.