Dublin has launched the world’s first dedicated artificial Christmas tree recycling program.
More than a million artificial Christmas trees have been discarded by households across the Republic of Ireland, according to new research from Balsam Hill, the category leader for premium reusable Christmas trees.
When asked, 35% of Irish people surveyed think artificial trees end up in the landfill and 35% think they are recycled, the reality is that most are incinerated and converted to fuel or energy where possible.
Like many products, the issue for artificial trees is that, until now, there has been no easy or proven way to recycle them. Artificial trees without lights attached are often considered general waste at end-of-life and trees with lights attached are electronic waste, both are already a significant environmental challenge for consumers, municipalities, and for the planet.
Over two-thirds (68%) of respondents in the Republic of Ireland plan to celebrate with an artificial Christmas tree this year, and a third (33%) of these trees are already five to ten years old. When asked about national recycling schemes, 69% of all Irish people agree that there should be one for artificial trees in their country.
This Christmas season, Dublin has become the first city in the world to introduce a dedicated recycling scheme for artificial Christmas trees. The pilot, known as Project reTREE, is being delivered with a unique collaboration between Balsam Hill, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council, WEEE Ireland, Thorntons Recycling, Panda, and many local staff at municipal bring centres for waste or recycling.
Running from 15 November 2025 to 31 January 2026, the scheme will allow Dubliners to drop off artificial trees of any brand that have reached the end of their useful life. Dublin residents can now bring artificial trees to either Ballyogan Recycling Centre in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown or Ballymount Civic Amenity in South Dublin for responsible recycling at end-of-life.
As a thank you for recycling, people who recycle a tree will receive a 10% discount voucher towards a new Balsam Hill tree.
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The pilot is a landmark effort to imagine and build a circular economy for artificial Christmas trees. Balsam Hill wants customers to reuse their tree for as long as possible and then recycle it. The initiative launched in Dublin to learn and explore what is possible, and in future years, Balsam Hill has plans to expand to the UK, continental Europe, the US and beyond.
Mac Harman, founder and CEO of Balsam Brands says, “To demonstrate our dedication to a circular economy in the Christmas market and for our customers, we are incredibly proud to announce the launch of Project reTREE in Dublin, where we have our global headquarters. This represents a big step forward in our sustainability journey and there’s more to do.”
For more information, please visit Balsam Hill’s sustainability page: balsamhill.co.uk/sustainability
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