East Devon residents can recycle their real Christmas trees at a host of drop-off points across the district from Monday, January 5, 2026.
The now-forlorn festive items can be left at nine designated sites in Axminster, Broadclyst, Budleigh Salterton, Cranbrook, Exmouth, Honiton, Ottery St Mary, Seaton and Sidmouth.
They will be composted and used as a natural fertiliser by local farms or across the district’s parks.
East Devon District Council (EDDC) is holding new year Christmas tree recycling events in:
- Seaton: Jurassic car park – Monday, January 5, 8.30am to 12noon;
- Axminster: West Street car park – Monday, January 5, 12.30pm to 3.30pm;
- Honiton: Lace Walk car park – Tuesday, January 6, 8.30am to 12noon;
- Ottery St Mary: Land of Canaan car park – Tuesday, January 6, 12.30pm to 3.30pm;
- Exmouth: Imperial Road car park – Wednesday, January 7, 8.30am to 12noon;
- Budleigh Salterton: Lime Kiln car park – Wednesday, January 7, 12.30pm to 3.30pm;
- Cranbrook: Rush Meadow Road – Thursday, January 8, 8.30am to 12noon;
- Broadclyst: Sports Pavilion car park – Thursday, January 8, 12.30pm to 3.30pm;
- Sidmouth: Manor Road car park – Friday, January 9, 8.30am to 12noon.
If you have a real Christmas tree and have signed up for EDDC’s green waste collections, the council can take your tree if it fits inside your green bin, with the lid closed. Branches must be no thicker than 10cm.
Plain Christmas cards and wrapping paper – without any glitter or foil – can be left in the green curb-side recycling box.
In addition, volunteers will be out collecting and recycling Christmas trees from January 8, 2026, in aid of Hospiscare.
Last year volunteers collected 2,200 trees and the event raised £46,000 for the charity.
Residents in Exeter, Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Honiton, Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary can register now to have their tree collected by a team of volunteers, who will be out across the areas from Thursday, January 8 until Saturday, January 10, 2026.
The suggested donation is £20 each tree.
Last year volunteers collected 2,200 trees and the event raised £46,000 for the charity.
Photo: Hospiscare.
The collected Christmas trees will be recycled by Coastal Recycling and the chippings used across the University of Exeter campus.
For more information and to register, see Hospiscare’s website.
