EVEN though festivities are far from over for many, residents in Basingstoke can soon recycle their real Christmas trees at several locations across the borough.

As the festive clear-up begins, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) have announced details of their real Christmas trees recycling scheme. Residents can drop their unwanted trees at one of the locations around Basingstoke.

BDBC has taken to Facebook to share the locations where residents can drop off trees from Monday, January 2 to Sunday, January 29.

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They posted: "You can take your Christmas tree to one of our 21 collection points around the borough from Monday 2 January to Sunday 29 January 2023."

The disposal points in Basingstoke are:

  • Avenue Nurseries, The Avenue, Lasham
  • Basingstoke Town Centre, War Memorial Park, Crossborough Hill
  • Basingstoke Garden Centre, North Waltham
  • Boat House, Eastrop Park, Basingstoke
  • Burghclere Sports Club, Harts Lane, Burghclere
  • Brighton Hill Sports Pavilion, Gershwin Road, Basingstoke
  • Capital Gardens, Sherfield on Loddon
  • Carpenters Down Open Space (Popley), Carpenters Down, Basingstoke
  • Darling Buds of May, Newbury Road, Headley
  • Elm Park Garden Centre, Aldermaston Road, Pamber End
  • Fieldgate Centre, Kingsclere
  • Hatch Warren Community Centre, Long Cross Lane, Basingstoke
  • Homebase, Winchester Road, Basingstoke
  • Oakridge Playing Fields, Upper Sherborne Road, Basingstoke
  • Overton Hill Car Park, Overton
  • Russell Howard Car Park (South Ham), Basingstoke
  • Silchester Pavilion Car Park, Pamber Road, Silchester
  • St Johns Piece, (near play area), Oakley
  • Winklebury Playing Fields, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke
  • Wigmore Road Park Entrance, Hangar Road, Tadley
  • Winchester Road Car Park, Whitchurch

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Around eight million real Christmas trees are bought each year and the way that you dispose of them can make a difference to the environment.

The Carbon Trust says that real trees have much lower carbon footprints than artificial Christmas trees. If a two-metre tree is recycled, rather than ending up in a landfill, it will reduce your carbon footprint by 80 per cent.

Once they have been chipped they are taken to a depot where they are left over time to decompose, and this compost is then used as mulch and weed suppressant for gardens and public areas. The mulch has more uses though, with some communities using it to pave running trails.