Christmas tree collection: when do Christmas trees get picked up in Glasgow?

Having a real tree is a lovely part of Christmas that makes everything feel a little bit more festive.

Extend your Christmas spirit into the new year by recycling your tree. Picture: Shutterstock

However, it can make things a little tricky when it comes time for the post-Christmas clean-up - especially if you want to stay eco-friendly.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to recycle your tree in Glasgow.

Real trees add an extra festive touch to Christmas but they can be tricky to get rid of afterwards. Picture: Shutterstock

Can Christmas trees be recycled?

The Christmas tree is the centrepiece of any home’s festive makeover and, for many people, a real tree is a must. However, it would be a real shame to discard a whole tree every year after just a couple of weeks of use.

Fortunately, real Christmas trees can be effectively recycled. They can be shredded into wood chippings which are used in parks and woodland areas, or turned into compost.

In Shetland, Christmas trees are incinerated to provide hot water for locals during the coldest part of the year.

Having your tree disposed of properly can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 80 per cent. A real tree which is chipped or composted can ultimately have negligible, or even negative carbon emissions.

Comparatively, the carbon footprint of a two-foot artificial tree is more than twice that of a real tree that ends up in a landfill. A fake tree also has to be used at least 10 times before it can be considered more environmentally friendly than a real tree.

Ultimately, more than 10 times as many fake trees end up getting incinerated each year.

How can I recycle my tree?

In the UK, most local councils will collect Christmas trees as part of their regular rubbish collection. Different councils have different requirements for this – some want it chopped up and placed in the appropriate bin, while others will take it whole.

Some councils charge for this service, others provide it for free.

If your council doesn't provide a tree collection service, the best option is to take it to a recycling centre. Your council’s website should contain instructions on where to find your nearest centre.

How can I recycle my tree in Glasgow?

Glasgow City

If your household has a brown bin, you should chop up your tree and throw it in with the rest of the garden waste. However, it's worth noting that bin collection dates vary over the festive period.

Make sure your tree is chopped up so that the bin can close and the tree doesn't get wedged inside it.

Alternatively, trees can be taken to any of Glasgow's household recycling centres:- Dawsholm Recycling Centre, 75 Dalsholm Road G20 0TB- Easter Queenslie Recycling Centre, 90 Easter Queenslie Road G33 4UL- Polmadie Recycling Centre, 425 Polmadie Road G42 0PJ- Shieldhall Recycling Centre, Renfrew Road G51

Between 3 January and 19 January, real Christmas trees can also be taken to any of the following three locations:- Pollok Country Park, Burrell Car Park- Alexandra Park, off Alexandra Parade, car park next to the golf course- Kelvingrove Park, Kelvin Way, grass area opposite the bandstand

For more information, visit the Glasgow City council website.

Renfrewshire

Residents are advised to take real Christmas trees to the nearest recycling centre and put them in the green skip. Centres can be found in the following locations:- Barrhill Road, Erskine PA8 6BU- Miller Street, Johnstone PA5 8HP- Middleton Road, Linwood PA3 3DP- Underwood Road, Paisley PA3 1TL- Haining Road, Renfrew PA4 0AJ

For more information, visit the Renfrewshire council website.

North Lanarkshire

Christmas trees can be collected by the North Lanarkshire council as part of a standard uplift. While these uplifts usually cost £25, the service is provided free of charge for real Christmas trees, though it must be booked in advance by contacting the council's environmental helpline on 01698 403110.

The council note that all decorations must be removed prior to pick-up.

Alternatively, real trees can be taken to any of the following recycling centres:- Lady Anne Crescent, Airdrie ML6 9RY- Jubilee Way, Bellshill ML4 1SA- Stobcross Street, Coatbridge ML5 1BE- Wardpark Road, Wardpark Industrial Estate, Cumbernauld G67 3HF- Netherhall Road, Netherton Industrial Estate, Netherton, Wishaw ML2 0JG- Foundry Road, Shotts ML7 5DX

For more information, visit the North Lanarkshire coucil website.

South Lanarkshire

If you want your tree to be collected in South Lanarkshire, chop it up and place it in your burgundy bin as normal, although the collection date may vary over the Christmas period.

A green waste uplift can also be arranged free of charge by contacting the council.

Real Christmas trees can be taken to any of the following recycling centres:- Carluke Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Castlehill Industrial Estate ML8 5UF- East Kilbride Waste and Recycling Centre, Peel Park Industrial Estate G74 5BU- Eastfield Waste and Recycling Centre, Cambuslang Road G72 7DB- Hamilton and Blantyre Waste and Recycling Centre, East Avenue, Blantyre Industrial Estate G72 0JB- Larkhall Waste and Recycling Centre, Strutherhill Industrial Estate ML9 2WW- Strathaven Waste and Recycling Centre, Hamilton Road Industrial Estate ML10 6UB

For more information, visit the South Lanarkshire council website.

West Dunbartonshire

Real trees can be composted as usual by placing them next to (not inside of) brown bins. If the tree is bigger than the brown bin, residents are asked to cut it in half first, and to place the brown bin out (even if it is empty) to ensure the tree is collected.

There are also recycling centres at Dalmoak (Renton Rd, Dumbarton G82 4HQ) and Ferry Road (Old Kilpatrick, Glasgow G60 5EU) where trees can be disposed of.

For more information, visit the West Dunbartonshire council website.

East Dunbartonshire

From Sunday 5 January 2020, skips will be provided in the following locations for trees to be collected and recycled:- Allander Sports Centre, Bearsden- William Patrick Library car park, Kirkintilloch- Mavis Valley Recycling Centre, Bishopbriggs

Those who are unable to take their tree to the designated locations can call the customer contact centre on 0300 123 4510 to arrange a free-of-charge tree pick-up between Saturday 18 January and Saturday 25 January 2020.

For more information, visit the East Dunbartonshire council website.

Inverclyde

Inverclyde has two recycling centres where real Christmas trees can be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way. These are:- Kirn Drive Recycling Centre, Drumshantie Rd, Gourock PA19 1YZ - Pottery Street Recycling Centre, Greenock PA15 2UH

For more information, visit the Inverclyde council website.