Farleigh Hospice will be collecting real Christmas trees from homes and businesses across mid Essex to recycle from 9th to 12th January 2026.

Many people prefer to have a traditional fir tree at home or at work but struggle to dispose of it after the festive celebrations are over.

Farleigh Hospice’s convenient, eco-friendly Christmas Tree Recycling Service collects trees from doorsteps, saving a trip to the local recycling centre and a car boot full of discarded pine needles. Instead of going to waste or landfill, these trees are then shredded into wood chippings to be used as biomass fuel and on pathways in local parks, which is better for the environment.

Louis Smart from GB Finch, Michael Morgan from Essex 4×4 Response and Volunteers from Goodgym

This will be the 10th year that Farleigh Hospice’s ‘elves’ have been running the service, which is so popular that they have had to add a fourth collection day in January.

In 2016, the charity collected 613 trees and the service has been running every year since, except for in 2021 when it was cancelled due to Covid. In January 2025, an impressive 3,359 trees were saved for recycling by Farleigh and its team of 110 volunteers.

Farleigh provides compassionate hospice care to adults with life-limiting illnesses and their families across mid Essex. The charity also offers information and support to bereaved children and adults and makes no charge for any of its services. A total of £352,565 has been donated to Farleigh by local people who have recycled their trees since the service began.

Debbie de Boltz, Farleigh’s Head of Fundraising, said, “At this current time, help for hospices is needed more than ever. Our ability to fund essential services is under unprecedented strain: the ongoing cost of living crisis has deeply affected both individuals and businesses, reducing disposable income and limiting charitable giving. We are very grateful to everyone who donates to Farleigh and very much hope to raise significant funds for local hospice care this year.”

From Friday 9th to Monday 12th January, trees will be collected from outside homes and businesses in Braintree, Burnham, Chelmsford, Coggeshall, Danbury, Dunmow, Halstead, Kelvedon, Maldon,

Southminster, South Woodham Ferrers, Stock, the Four Colnes, Witham and the surrounding villages.

This year, Farleigh extended its hospice and bereavement services across the Colne Valley, so it will be the first time that the hospice has collected trees in this area.

Debbie de Boltz added, “Over the past decade, our Christmas Tree Recycling Service has collected nearly 21,000 trees. This amazing achievement would not have been possible without our outstanding volunteers and the local companies, organisations and councils who kindly help us, plus the team at Contour Landscapes who chip the trees.

“This year, demand is so high that we have had to add another collection day, so we are encouraging homes and businesses to register their real trees as soon as they can.”

To register a real Christmas tree for recycling and to give a donation, go to www.farleighhospice.org/trees before 4pm on 6th January.