With Christmas Day gone for another year, many households will be gazing on their beautifully decorated Christmas tree standing in the living room, thinking, "now we need to think about getting rid of this".

What happens to the sad looking tree once the holidays are over and the children are back to school and mums and dads back at work?

With all the gifts opened, the twinkling lights switched off and the decorations taken down, where will you put your tree?

Well, councils across west London are still in a generous mood and are offering to recycle your real Christmas tree for free, but remember to remove all pots and decorations first.

Hounslow

Residents in Hounslow can take up the offer from January 9, 2017 to January 20 as long as trees are left out by 7am on collection day.

Leave your natural trees out next to the waste and recycling and it will taken away by garden waste crews.

Bin hangers will be provided to all wheelie bin households before Christmas showing the collection arrangements over Christmas and New Year.

People in flats should leave their tree adjacent to the bin area.

Recycling your Christmas tree this year!

Alternatively, take the tree to the Council’s Civic Amenity site at Space Waye or a civic amenity site in a neighbouring borough.

Drop off points are allocated at the following parks:

Hammersmith & Fulham

Recycle real Christmas trees on recycling collection days between January 3, 2017 and January 13 in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Real trees will be collected if left in the front garden or outside the property for recycling where it is visible from the street, does not obstruct the pavement and with no pots or decorations on it.

Trees must be ready for collection by midday on the designated collection day.

There are also collection points where you can take real Christmas trees for recycling:

  • Fulham Palace Road Cemetery (opposite Queensmill Road).
  • Loris Road Community Gardens.
  • New King's Road (on edge of Eel Brook Common).
  • Normand Park (opposite Lillie Road entrance).
  • Ravenscourt Park (by football pitch).
  • Wormwood Scrubs car park (off Scrubs Lane).

Trees will be composted and put to good use rather than going to waste.

Collection days will take place one day later than usual from Monday, January 2, 2017 until Friday, January 6. For example where the usual collection date is January 2, this will take place on January 3.

Kensington & Chelsea

For another year Kensington and Chelsea will operate a Christmas tree recycling scheme.

Residents are asked to contact Streetline between January 3, 2017 and January 18 to arrange a collection.

Then the tree must be placed before 7am at the boundary of your property and be visible from the kerb on the agreed collection date.

Alternatively, residents can take their Christmas trees to designated collection points at:

  • Sainsbury's, Canal Way (off Ladbroke Grove) W10.
  • Little Wormwood Scrubs (Dalgarno Gardens entrance) W10.
  • Kensington Memorial Park (St Helen’s Gardens entrance) W10.
  • Talbot Road (in front of the church at the top of Colville Gardens) W11.
  • Cornwall Crescent (junction with Clarendon Road) W11.
  • All Saints Road ( junction with Tavistock Road) W11.
  • Pembridge Square (entering from Pembridge Villas) W2.
  • Kensington Park Road (on the corner of Convent Gardens) W11.
  • Holland Park car park, Abbotsbury Road W14.
  • Palace Gate (at the junction with Kensington Gate – near the sculpture) W8.
  • Ifield Road (at the junction with Finborough Road) SW10.
  • Campden Hill Road (between Phillimore Walk and Duchess of Bedford Walk) W8.
  • Denyer Street Depot SW3.
  • Cremorne Gardens, Lots Road SW10.
  • Pont Street (junction with Cadogan Square) SW1X.
  • Royal Avenue (junction with St. Leonard’s Terrace) SW3.
  • The Boltons (south side of the church) SW10.
  • Robinson Street (on the pavement area, opposite the church) SW3.

Ealing

A free kerbside collection service will operate in Ealing between Wednesday, December 28, and Friday, January 27, 2017 for residents to have their real Christmas trees taken away for recycling.

Trees will be collected once a week on the same day as the refuse and recycling collections over the Christmas period .

Trees need to be smaller than 20cm in diameter and any that are higher than 6ft need to be cut in two before they can be taken away.

Residents can also take their real trees to a drop-off point until February 12, 2017:

• Acton Green Common.
• Acton Park.
• Berkeley Fields (Berkeley Avenue).
• Churchfields, Hanwell (car park).
• Cleveland Park.
• Ealing Central Sports Ground (Horsenden Lane South).
• Ealing Common (Junction of Grange Road and The Common).
• Elthorne Park (Boston Road).
• Islip Manor Park (Eastcote Lane car park).
• North Acton playing fields.
• Perivale Park (Cowgate Road).
• Pitshanger Park.
• Ravenor Park (Oldfield Lane South and Ruislip Road).
• Rectory Park (Parkfield Drive).
• Southall Park (Green Drive).
• Southfields Park.
• Spikes Bridge Park (West Avenue).
• Springfield Gardens (Rosemont Road).
• Walpole Park (Lammas Park Gardens).

In addition, the council’s re-use and recycling centres will continue to accept garden waste, including Christmas trees, for composting.

These centres are located at Stirling Road, Acton and Greenford Road, Greenford.

Most councils will collect real Christmas trees for recycling (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

Brent

There are three options to get your real Christmas tree recycled in Brent .

1) Take it down to the reuse and recycling centre in Abbey Road from January 2, 2017 onwards.

2) If you are signed up to garden waste services then cut your tree into pieces and place it in the green bin and it will be taken away in the January collection.

3) Take your real tree down to one of 21 drop-off points between January 9, and January 15.

Westminster

If you live in Westminster then take your tree to one of the 22 recycling points.

Opening hours are from 8am to 8pm, or until 4.30pm at parks, between Monday, January 2, 2017 and Sunday, January 15.

The new Westminster bins aimed at improving recycling rates
  • Carlton Vale - next to the recycling site by the entrance to Paddington Recreation Ground.
  • Queen's Terrace - off Queen's Grove.
  • Prince Albert Road - on the junction with Culworth Street.
  • Lisson Grove - junction with Rossmore Road next to the recycling bins.
  • Penfold Street - on the junction with Broadley Street next to the recycling bins.
  • Eaton Square - junction with Eccleston Street - one-way going north towards Belgrave Square on the right hand side.
  • Erasmus Street - junction with Cureton Street by the micro-recycling centre.
  • Churchill Gardens Estate - next to Darwin House beside the glass tower.
  • Charlwood Street - on the junction with Denbigh Street next to the recycling bins.
  • Rutland Gate - at the bottom of the garden nearest the junction with Gate Mews.
  • Paddington Street - Paddington Street Gardens - North side of the gardens, to the left of the entrance.
  • Cavendish Square - on the pavement near the recycling site.
  • Soho Square - east entrance to the square next to the recycling bins.
  • Ilbert Street - junction with Fourth Avenue by the entrance to the park.
  • Rowington Close - off Senior Street next to Church on the Warwick Estate.
  • Great Western Road - opposite the junction with Tavistock Road by the micro-recycling centre.
  • St Stephen's Crescent - junction with Westbourne Park Road.
  • Hallfield Estate - outside the Hallfield Junior School - on the grassy area.
  • Ashmore Road - near the junction with Kilburn Lane - grassy area inside St Lukes Church via side gate.
  • Harrow Road - opposite Maryland Road next to the micro-recycling centre.
  • Warwick Avenue - on the pavement in the middle of the road, opposite the taxi rank by the recycling site.
  • Grantully Road - on the junction with Ashworth Road next to the paper/card recycling bin.

Hillingdon

In Hillingdon, Christmas trees can be recycled via the kerbside recycling service and will be collected with garden and food waste.

Trees need to be cut down to less than 3ft and placed next to the garden and food waste.

In addition, wrapping paper and cards can be recycled as long as they are not made out of foil.

And anyone getting rid of unwanted clothes or textiles are urged to use the purple bags.

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