Recycling Initiative is a Tree-mendous Idea
Winchester City Council and Winchester City Centre Partnership staff are feeling ‘chipper’ this week after ensuring the Christmas tree at the Buttercross will meet an environmentally friendly end.
The tree was provided by local businesses through the City Centre Partnership and the City Council have arranged for it to be recycled following the completion of 12th night. The tree will be taken to King George V playing fields where it will be cut up and chipped. The resulting mulch will be used on the borders in the formal gardens to improve the floral decorations and control weeds.
Partnership Chairman Jeremy France said: “The City Centre Partnership is delighted to support this sustainable idea as it ensures that the tree that provided a wonderful backdrop to Christmas in Winchester for the past few weeks can also now help the city’s floral displays over the summer months.”
Councillor Frank Pearson, Portfolio Holder for Health, Safety and Environment added: “This is another excellent example of joint working between the City Council and commerce. We have come up with an ideal solution which supports our plans to make Winchester as sustainable as possible.
“I hope that those householders with real trees will want to follow this example and make sure that their own Christmas trees are put out for recycling as part of free green garden waste collection scheme early in the New Year. Winchester residents already achieve exceptional recycling levels and this is another way in which they can build upon their success.”
Real Christmas trees can be recycled with other green garden waste and can be collected from homes during January - please refer to your collection calendar for the correct date for your area.
The real Christmas trees and the other green garden waste will then be taken to a centralised composting facility where they will be shredded and composted over a period of 12-16 weeks. The composted waste will then be bagged-up and sold as 'Pro-Grow' soil conditioner which can be purchased at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Anyone wanting further advice on recycling their Christmas tree should visit the Recycle for Winchester web pages at www.winchester.gov.uk or can telephone 0800 008 60 50.