Green end for Christmas trees (From Witney Gazette)

Green end for Christmas trees

A GREEN end to the Christmas festivities is being urged by Oxfordshire councils which want people to start the new year by shredding their Christmas trees.

And once they have been through giant shredders like the one pictured at Agrivert's base at Benson, the residue will be used as mulch and compost on gardens and used by local farmers.

Harry Waters, for Agrivert, said: "About six million trees were bought this year and we want to improve on last year's recycling rate of only ten per cent.

"We've all heard about the detrimental effects of global warming and leaving trees to rot in landfill sites won't contribute towards a sustainable future.

"All the local authorities in the county have a system in place to make it easy for people to recycle their trees.

"So we are urging people to take their trees to a household recycling centre or put them in their brown garden waste bins so they can be composted and put to good use."

In south Oxfordshire, people can take their trees to Waterperry Gardens, Notcutts at Nuneham Courtenay, Wyevale in Harpsden, Route One garden centre at Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Toad Hall in Henley, Greenshoots at Peppard Common, The Herb Farm at Sonning Common and The Tree Barn at Christmas Common on January 6, 7, 13 and 14 between 8am and noon.

West Oxfordshire residents are encouraged to recycle their trees to make use of a free chipping service on Saturday, January 6, at Spendlove Centre, Charlbury, the Back Lane car park in Eynsham and Hensington Road car park in Woodstock.

On Sunday, January 7, chipping will be done in Black Bourton Road car park in Carterton, New Street car park in Chipping Norton and Welch Way car park in Witney, all between 10am and 3pm.

In Cherwell District council area people are being asked to use their brown bins or take their tree to a recycling centre.

Trees can also be disposed of at Hurrans Garden Centre in Banbury. The trees will be accepted, free of charge, up to and including Sunday, January 14, for mulching.

There are two options in the Vale of White Horse area - brown bins or Milletts Farm at Frilford.

Oxford City Council has 18 collection points across the city open until Monday, January 15. They are at Alexandra Court, North Oxford; Northway Road, Barton; Blackbird Leys Park and the leisure centre car park; Bury Knowle Park; Manzil Gardens off Cowley Road; Cutteslowe Park; Florence Park, Cowley; Hinksey Park; Long Lane, Littlemore; Meadow Lane recreation ground; Westlands Drive on Northway estate; Oatlands recreation ground; Quarry recreation ground; Green Road, Risinghurst; South park, Morrell Avenue; Sunnymead recreation ground and Atkyns Road on Wood Farm.