Find your local authority below for details on recycling real Christmas trees in your area. All decorations, lights and any other embellishments must be removed prior to recycling:
East Devon
For residents that have subscribed to East Devon’s garden waste collection service, you can recycle your real Christmas tree in your green waste bin (no branches thicker than 100mm).
Exeter
For residents that have subscribed to Exeter City Council’s garden waste collection service, you can place your tree out for collection with or without the brown bin on the first garden collection of the year (click here for your Exeter City Council garden waste collection dates).
Exeter City Council are supporting Hospiscare’s tree collection scheme.
Alternatively, trees can be taken to: Exton Road Recycling Centre and Pinbrook Road Recycling Centre (width limit of 25cm/10”).
Please do not leave Christmas trees beside recycling banks or next to your black bin.
Teignbridge
Real Christmas trees can be taken to one of Teignbridge’s collection points, which can be found here.
Alternatively, trees can be taken to the Recycling Centre at Brunel Road (Newton Abbot) (width limit of 25cm/10”).
Mid Devon
This year, all residents can put their real Christmas trees out to be collected by our garden waste service (until 31 January 2026). Residents can place their real tree out on a scheduled garden waste collection day (this is the opposite week to a recycling collection).
To ensure a tree is collected:
- Trunk must be no larger than 4 inches (100mm) in diameter
- Tree must be under 6ft tall – preferably cut in half to help crews load it safely
- Place the tree next to the blue food caddy, or if subscribed to our garden waste service, it can be placed inside or next to the brown wheeled bin
Real Christmas trees can also be disposed of at your local Recycling Cenres: Punchbowl (Crediton) and Ashley (Tiverton) (width limit of 25cm/10”).
South Hams
Real Christmas trees can be taken to the Recycling Centres at Ivybridge, Torr Quarry (Kingsbridge) and Totnes (width limit of 25cm/10”).
Torridge
Residents with a Garden Waste subscription can put their real Christmas trees into or next to their green waste bin.
West Devon
For residents that have subscribed to West Devon’s garden waste collection service, you can recycle your real Christmas tree in your green waste bin for the first week of resumed collections, from Thursday 9th January, (no taller than 6ft, branches up to 10 cm/4 inches in diameter).
Plymouth
For information on Christmas waste and recycling in Plymouth, please click here.
Torbay
Residents with a Garden Waste subscription can place their real Christmas tree next to their brown bin on their next collection day. Please note that garden waste collections are paused until the 19th of January.
For those without a Garden Waste subscription, there are multiple options:
There will be drop off points for Christmas trees on the 10th and 17th of December, at Town Hall Car Park, Torquay and Brixham College.
North Devon
Real Christmas trees should be cut up and put into your green wheelie bins (if you have a permit). The chopped up pieces must be less than 5cm in size otherwise they will be too large for our crews to collect.
For those who don’t have a garden waste permit, please take your Christmas trees to one of Devon County Council’s recycling centres at Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and South Molton (width limit of 25cm/10”).
