How to dispose of a Christmas Tree for Free in London
If you live in London and want to dispose of your Christmas tree fast, then take a quick pic and list it on the LoveJunk waste removal market. Typical collection price for a single Xmas tree is £10 - £25 (depending on size and location) and average response time is 2 minutes. All collections are undertaken by licensed waste carriers who can remove from in or outside the property. Payment and collection are contact-free.
However, if you have a bit more time and are looking for a cheaper solution, then the following Xmas tree disposal options are available free of charge to Londoners.
1. Council collection
Most London councils offer residents a kerbside Christmas tree collection service, usually on their normal bin collection day. Below are the details of each collection service by borough.
Note - if you are a business, council collections normally don’t apply to you and you’ll have to arrange your own disposal method.
Borough | Kerbside Christmas tree collection details |
Barking & Dagenham | NA - don’t offer service |
Barnet | Jan 6 - Feb 1: please cut tree in half and leave out on bin day |
Bexley | From Jan 11: cut in half and leave out on bin day, but will only be collected from properties which are part of garden waste service |
Brent | NA - don’t offer service |
Bromley | N/A - don’t offer service |
Camden | N/A - don’t offer service |
Croydon | From 18 Jan: collecting from kerbside properties |
City of London | NA - don’t offer service |
Ealing | Jan 2 - 31: Leave on the front edge of the property, collected on the same day as your normal bin collection |
Enfield | Residents receiving garden recycling collection can leave their tree out for collection with their food waste. If the tree is taller then 6ft it needs to be cut into smaller pieces |
Greenwich | Leave in front of your property before 6am, collected as part of weekly collection |
Hackney | Jan 4 - 15 Jan: leave outside on your rubbish & recycling day |
Hammersmith & Fulham | Jan 4 - 17: Put your tree out for collection before 7am on your regular collection day |
Haringey | Leave kerbside and cut your tree into smaller pieces (max length 1 metre). |
Harrow | N/A - don’t offer service. |
Havering | N/A - don’t offer service. |
Hillingdon | Christmas trees can be recycled for free as part of the weekly garden waste collection service. |
Hounslow | Jan 7 - 17: Kerbside collection |
Islington | Kerbside collections on normal recycling day until Jan 21 |
Kensington and Chelsea | Jan 2 - 17: Trees can be collected on your normal bin day. |
Kingston Upon Thames | Jan 13 - 24: Kerbside collection on your bin collection day. |
Lambeth | Kerbside collection throughout January / in communal bin area if you live in a flat |
Lewisham | N/A - don’t offer service |
Merton | Jan 13 - 27: Trees can be collected kerbside |
Newham | Collected with green waste collection |
Redbridge | Leave outside for kerbside collection by 7am on Jan 13, it should then be collected between then and Jan 24 |
Richmond upon Thames | Jan 6 - 17: Collected on your normal garden waste collection day |
Southwark | Collected as part of your usual bin collection. Bin collection dates here |
Sutton | Jan 13 - 27: Kerbside/communal bin area collections |
Tower Hamlets | Jan 6 - 20: Kerbside collection on food/garden waste collection day |
Waltham Forest | Left outside property on brown bin collection day from 4 Jan |
Wandsworth | Jan 4 - 15: Collected kerbside on normal refuse & recycling days. |
Westminster | N/A - don’t offer service. |
2. Take to Council drop off point
If your council doesn’t offer a kerbside collection service or you don’t fancy waiting for your council to pick up your Christmas tree, you can take it to a council drop off point yourself. Drop off points are located at your local tip / civic amenity site and also at various temporary locations listed below.
Borough | Drop off points |
Barking & Dagenham | South Park Drive entrance of Barking car park, the West Road Entrance of St Chads car park or the Bull Lane entrance Central Park in Dagenham.
Dates: Jan 5 Barking car park, Jan 8 St Chads or Jan 11 Central Park. |
Barnet | Summers Lane recycling centre in North Finchley. |
Bexley | Thames Road recycling centre in Crayford and Maidstone Road recycling centre in Foots Cray. |
Brent | Drop off points, Dec 27 - Jan 10. |
Bromley | Drop off points: Norman Park, Salt Depot, St Paul’s Cray (all Jan 11). Unicorn Primary School, Charles Darwin School (both Jan 12). |
Camden | Drop off points. |
Croydon | Drop off points. |
City of London | Can be taken to Barbican estate in the following locations on Mondays and Thursdays: Bunyan Court; Cromwell Tower; Thomas Moore House; Willoughby House and Lauderdale. |
Ealing | Drop off points. |
Enfield | Drop off points. |
Greenwich | No drop off points. |
Hackney | Millfields Depot fron Jan 4 to Jan 31. |
Hammersmith & Fulham | Drop off points. |
Haringey | Drop off points. |
Harrow | Drop off point at Harrow Recycling Centre. |
Havering | Drop off point at Gidea Park Sports Ground, Main Road, Romford on 9 Jan between 10am-2pm or taken to Gerpins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre in Upminster. |
Hillingdon | Drop off points are Harefield Civic Amenity Site and West Drayton waste facility. |
Hounslow | Drop off points. |
Islington | Drop off points here between Jan 2 - Jan 21. |
Kensington and Chelsea | Drop off points here Jan 2-19. |
Kingston Upon Thames | Drop off point at Re-use and Recycling Centre in Chapel Mill Road. |
Lambeth | Drop off point at recycling sites: Streatham Common, Clapham Common and Lambeth Re-use and Recycling Centre. |
Lewisham | Drop off points here from Jan 2-28. |
Merton | Drop off point at Morden Reuse and recycling Centre. |
Newham | Drop off point at Jenkins Lane re-use and recycling centre. |
Redbridge | Drop off point at ELWA refuse and recycling centre. |
Richmond upon Thames | Drop off points here. |
Southwark | Drop off point at Reuse and Recycling centre but be aware you’ll need to book a permit first (it’s free). |
Sutton | Drop off point at Kimpton Park Way, Household Reuse and Recycling Centre |
Tower Hamlets | No drop off points. |
Waltham Forest | Drop off points at recycling centres in Leyton, Chingford or Walthamstow. |
Wandsworth | No drop off points. |
Westminster | 26 recycling points here, last day to drop off is Jan 12. |
3. Disposal at Christmas tree retailers
A few London Christmas tree sellers offer a disposal and recycling service:
- Camden Garden Centre - receives old trees for free in its car park from 2nd-10th Jan
- Boma Garden Centre receives old trees for free in its car park from 2nd - 16th Jan
- Clickmas Trees - will collect an old tree for £12.50 from 1st - 10th Jan
For completeness, we have included the biggest Christmas tree retailer, Pines & Needles, but as you can see their rates are expensive, so we doubt you’ll be using them...
- Pines and Needles (and The Christmas Forest) offer a collection service. Prices start at £30.95 and go up to £65!