A HOSPICE is relaunching a festive scheme in a bid to recycle old Christmas trees.

Farleigh Hospice will be collecting Christmas trees from doorsteps across mid Essex on January 6, 7 and 8 next year.

It is the seventh year that Farleigh has been providing the environmentally friendly service to homes across mid Essex, including Braintree, Burnham, Chelmsford, Coggeshall, Danbury, Dunmow, Kelvedon, Maldon, Southminster, South Woodham Ferrers, Stock and Witham, as well as the surrounding villages and areas.

Households simply register their tree, and it will be collected directly from their home by the ‘Farleigh Elves’.

Last time, the charity collected 2,678 trees which were shredded into wood chippings and put to good use locally, including being used as biomass fuel and on pathways in cemeteries and parks.

A total of 115 volunteers in 50 vehicles helped Farleigh to provide the service with the support of councils and other organisations.

Farleigh Hospice has been providing free care to people affected by life-limiting illnesses and bereavement across mid Essex for 40 years.

There will be a real tree on display at its hospice building in Chelmsford this year, which has been donated by local company Christmas Wrapped Up.

Fundraising manager Debbie de Boltz and colleague Selina Joslin went along to its Christmas tree farm just outside High Easter to collect the tree.

Christmas Wrapped Up will be encouraging all their customers to use the Christmas tree recycling service.

Debbie said: “All trees must be registered for collection through Farleigh’s website by January 4.

“Anyone using our 2023 recycling service can make a donation when they register.  

“Around £41,000 was donated last time, which has enabled Farleigh to help more local people to live well until the end of their lives.

“We are very grateful to Christmas Wrapped Up and to all of our wonderful volunteers - including the Chelmsford Lions, local companies, organisations, councils and individuals - who so kindly help us every year to make the tree recycling so successful.”

To find out more, visit www.farleighhospice.org/trees .