Christmas is over.
Aside from the usual New Year's Eve hangover and vows to never eat as many mince pies again, we're also left with the conundrum of what to do with that big tree in our living rooms.
The first question of course is when are you actually supposed to take your Christmas tree down? You can find out the answer to that here.
Now you'll need to know what to do with the tree and how to recycle it.
This borough by borough guide will provide all you need to know for removing your Christmas tree:
Please note: this guide only applies to real Christmas trees. Councils require the removal of all decorations, stands and pots before dropping off or putting your tree out for collection.
Barking and Dagenham:
Trees can be taken to the Wood Lane entrance of Central Park in Dagenham or the South Park Drive entrance of Barking Park car park.
Collection dates:
January 6 for Central Park, or January 13 for Barking Park car park.
Barnet:
Trees must be left out on your bin collection day.
Collection dates:
Between January 6 and February 3.
Bexley:
Only Christmas trees from properties which are part of the garden waste service will be collected. Please cut your tree in half and place it next to your garden waste bin on your collection day.
Collection dates:
Garden waste collections will be suspended week commencing December 24, 2018 for two weeks - resuming again on January 7, 2019.
Brent:
Please drop off tree at these points.
Collection dates:
December 31 to January 13.
Bromley:
Drop tree off at Norman Park, Salt Depot or St Paul's Cray on January 5. Unicorn Primary School and Biggin Hill will also provide drop off points on January 6.
Collection dates:
- January 5 - 11am to 4pm
- January 6 - 8am to 12pm
Camden:
Christmas tree recycling points will be open across the borough. You can find your nearest recycling point here.
Collection dates:
January 2 to January 14.
Croydon:
Christmas trees will be collected from kerbside properties. If you don't live in a kerbside property, you can take it to a household reuse and recycling centre.
Collection dates:
On your refuse collection day between January 14 to January 25.
City of London:
The City of London Corporation is operating a Christmas tree recycling service for residents only, who can drop off their real trees at designated collection points.
Please see here for further details.
Ealing:
Leave your tree on the front edge of your property, to have it taken away for recycling. Trees will be collected on the same day as your normal bin collection each alternate week.
Collection dates:
Between January 2 and January 25.
Enfield:
Residents receiving a garden recycling collection should put their tree out for collection with their garden waste.
If the tree is taller than 6ft please take it to one of the parks listed here or cut it into smaller pieces.
Collection dates:
Trees can be taken to the parks listed until January 13.
Greenwich:
Your council will recycle your real Christmas tree as part of your weekly collection.
Please place tree in front of your property and make sure it is out before 6am.
Collection dates:
Find out your kerbside collection dates here.
Hackney:
Hackney council will collect your tree from your home on your rubbish and recycling day. Put your tree out at the front boundary of your property by 7am.
Collection dates:
From January 2 to 11, on your bin collection day.
Hammersmith and Fulham:
Please put your real tree out for collection before 7am on your collection date.
Collection dates:
Your bin collection dates between Wednesday 2 and Tuesday 15 January.
Haringey:
If you live in a kerbside property, you can cut your tree into smaller pieces (maximum length 1 metre) and put it out for collection. It is essential that your tree is cut into smaller pieces, otherwise it cannot be collected.
Christmas trees can also be taken to Haringey's Reuse and Recycling Centre in Wood Green - Western Road, N22 6UG.
Opening times: Monday to Sunday, 8.30am to 4pm (closed on New Years day)
Alternatively, you can take them to designated sites in certain parks.
Collection dates:
You can take your trees to the parks listed above throughout the four weeks following Christmas Day.
Harrow:
Cut tree into smaller pieces, remove all decorations and put out for collection.
Collection dates:
If your normal bin day is on Thursday, then your bins will be collected on January 4. If you normally have your bins taken on a Friday, then you should place your bins out for January 5.
Havering:
You can recycle your Christmas trees by taking it to Gidea Park Sports Ground, Main Road, Romford.
Collection dates:
On January 5 between 10am – 2pm.
Hillingdon:
Christmas trees can be recycled for free as part of the weekly garden waste collection service.
Collection dates:
On your revised collection day which you can find out here.
Hounslow:
Place your Christmas tree out for collection.
Collection dates:
Real Christmas trees will be collected between January 7 and January 18, on the dates listed here.
Islington:
Islington drop off recycling points for Christmas trees are listed here.
Kensington and Chelsea:
There are a number of collection points for residents listed here.
Collection dates:
Between 2 and 20 January.
Kingston Upon Thames:
Leave the tree at the front of your property on your bin collection day between 7 and 19 January.
Collection dates:
Your collection days will change slightly over Christmas and New Year - find out more here.
Lambeth:
If you're a resident in a flat on a Lambeth Housing estate, please leave your tree next to the bin area or in the bulk collection area.
For residents in other flats, please check with your managing agent.
If you're a resident in a kerbside property that receives food waste collections, please leave your tree next to your refuse and recycling containers on your collection day.
Not every tree will be able to be taken on your first collection.
Please continue presenting your tree next to your bins on collection day throughout January if it's not collected on the first pass.
Collection dates:
From January 2.
Lewisham:
Recycle your Christmas tree at any of these points.
Collection dates:
Throughout January.
Merton
Merton council will provide a free collection service throughout January. Residents simply need to remove all decorations and put their trees out before 6am on January 7.
Collection dates:
Trees will be collected by January 17 at the latest.
Newham:
Apply for green waste collection here.
Please cut large Christmas trees into sizes that are easy to handle.
You can find out more information here.
Collection dates:
The council aims to collect within two working days of your request.
Redbridge:
Real Christmas trees should be placed in front of your property by 7am on January 14.
It should then be collected between then and January 25.
You can alternatively take garden waste for free to any of the following East London Waste Authority (ELWA) Refuse & Recycling Centres including:
- Chigwell Road, Redbridge
- Jenkins Lane, Newham
- Frizlands Lane, Barking & Dagenham
- Gerpins Lane, Havering
ID is required to dispose of waste at ELWA refuse and recycling centres.
Collection dates:
14 to 25 January.
Richmond upon Thames:
Your council will collect your real Christmas tree for recycling on the normal scheduled garden waste collection day for your street between 7 and 18 January.
Collection dates:
You can check your tree collection date here.
Southwark
Christmas trees can be collection as part of your usual bin collections.
Collection dates:
Check your bin collection dates here.
Sutton
There will be three locations across the borough where you can drop off your Christmas tree to be recycled.
- The Mount, Clockhouse - on the green opposite the Jack & Jill pub, CR5 2QY.
- Roundshaw Park, Lindbergh Road, SM6 9HB
- Kimpton Refuse and Recycling Centre, Kimpton Park Way SM3 9QH
Collection dates:
From 5 January to 13 January. The sites will be open from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
Tower Hamlets:
There will be a collection for the recycling of Christmas trees for a fortnight in January.
If you currently receive a kerbside food and garden waste collection, please leave your tree out for collection on your scheduled day during this period.
Collection dates:
7 January to 21 January.
Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest council are offering a free collection service for real Christmas trees.
Collection dates:
From Monday, January 7. Find out more information here.
Wandsworth
The council will be offering a free Christmas tree recycling service from January 4 as part of its regular collection service.
Collection dates:
The council will be aiming to collect all unwanted trees from people’s front gardens on their scheduled refuse and recycling collection days between 4 January and 18 January.
Westminster
Westminster has 26 recycling points for real Christmas trees. Find out your nearest one here.
Collection dates:
You can take your tree to a drop-off point between December 29 and January 13. Opening hours are 8am to 8pm excluding parks, which close at 4.30pm.
