Needle Work: local authorities prepare to collect and recycle Christmas trees

With Christmas officially at an end tomorrow, recycling centres are gearing up to process tens of thousands of tonnes of used packaging, including most household's bulkiest decoration, the Christmas tree.

The majority of local authority Christmas tree recycling points open on Monday, but some, including those in Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Waterford city, have already been operating for a week or more.

Most city-based local authorities operating the service ask householders to leave the trees at designated points, generally parks or green spaces in residential areas, between certain dates.

However some local authorities have allocated specific times for tree disposal, and are asking residents not to deposit their trees outside these hours.

Decorations and tree stands should be removed before the tree is deposited.

Garden waste, or any other refuse, recyclable or not, must not be deposited at designated tree-collection points unless the designated tree depot is also a general recycling or bring centre.

Details of all facilities where Christmas trees are accepted are available from Repak at www.repak.ie.

Some private waste-collection companies will collect Christmas trees from the kerbside in the areas where they operate, but householders are advised to check with their operator before leaving a tree out on bin day.

Christmas Tree Recycling Centres

Dublin City
December 29th - January 13th
Windmill Road Bring Centre, Crumlin, Dublin 12
Gulistan Terrace, Rathmines, Dublin 6
Unit 7B, Malahide Industrial Estate,
Newtown Park, Malahide Rd, Dublin 17
Oscar Traynor Road (former bring centre site), Coolock, Dublin 5
Waste Management Depot, 133A Slaney Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11 (Mon - Sun 10am - 4pm)
Stanley Street Depot (off North Brunswick Street), Dublin 7 (Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm)
WEEE Retailer Recycling Centre, Kylemore Park West, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 (Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm)Milltown car park
Sybil Hill - opposite entrance to St Annes
Albert College car park
Sandymount - Martello Tower car park
Ashington - open space
Dunard - open space
Walkinstown Green - at Church, Bunting Park
Poddle Park, Kimmage
Alfie Byrne Road - open space.

Fingal
January 7th-19th
Balbriggan - Bath Road car park
Skerries - South Strand layby
Rush - Hayestown Depot
Lusk - Ball Alley car park
Swords - Outlands Parks Depot, Rathbeale Road
Donabate - The Square
Portrane - The Brook
Portmarnock- Public car park, Strand Road
Kinsealy - Kinsealy Court
Malahide - The Seabanks car park
Baldoyle - Seagrange Park
Sutton - Sutton Park
Howth - The Squares, adjacent to Harbour car park
Castleknock - Auburn Avenue/ Castleknock Park open space
Carpenterstown - Carpenterstown Park East open space
Hartstown - Hartstown Park car park
Corduff - Edgewood Lawns, Blackcourt Road junction
Clonee - Littlepace Park opposite Littlepace shops
Coolmine - Millennium Park car park

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
January 2nd to 15th
West Pier Carpark, Dún Laoghaire 8.30am - 3.30pm
Cabinteely Park car park 10am-5pm
Marley Park car park 9am-4.30pm
Killiney Hill car park 10am-5pm
Blackrock Park (adjacent to Phoenix Tce.) 8.30am-3.30pm
Mount Anville Park car park 8.30am-3.30pm

South Dublin
From January 7th
Lucan
Green Waste Recycling Centre at Esker Lane.
Beechpark open space
Sarsfield Park open space

Palmerstown
Glenaulin Park

Clondalkin
Corkagh Park, St Johns Road entrance car park
Corkagh Park, Green Isle car park at Caravan Park entrance
Collinstown Park
Quarryvale Park
Foxdene open space
Foxborough Park open space
Grand Canal Park (junction Bawnogue and Lockview Rd.)

Tallaght
Raheen Open Space, opposite Raheen Shopping Centre
Seán Walsh Park, storage area behind Old Bawn Community College

Greenhills
Tymon Park, Limekiln car park and Tymon North Road car park

Templeogue
Orwell Open Space, opposite Orwell Shopping Centre

Old Bawn
Aylesbury open space (beside shopping centre)

Firhouse
Car park at Cherryfield, off the link road between Firhouse Road and Spawell Roundabout.

Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham Castle Park, car park

Saggart
Park's depot on Mill Lane

Cork City
January 7th - 31st
Civic Amenity Recycling Centre, Kinsale Road
Parks depot, Togher (adjacent to Clasduv Park)
Murphy's Farm, Bishopstown
Ballinlough Park
Skehard Road (Playground between old Cliffe and Kilbrack Lawn)
Green at junction of Ringmahon Road and Castle Road
Glen Amenity Park
Green at junction of Murmount Road and Iona Road, Montenotte
Green at Tinkers Cross traffic lights
Green at Sam Allen sports complex, Knockfree Avenue, Gurranabraher
Green at new reservoir on Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny
Parks depot, Fairhill
Kennedy Park, Victoria Road
Lee Fields at bottle bank site, Carrigrohane Road

Galway City
January 7th - 21st
Ballyloughane, Renmore (beside beach)
Cluain Fada (city council depot) Grattan Road Beach
Westside (beside playing pitches)
Hunters, Barna Road (city council depot)
Mervue (on open space off McHugh Avenue)

Limerick
All collections take place between 11am-3pm.
January 11th, St Mary's Community Centre, St Mary's Park
January 12th Watch House Cross, Moyross.
January 18th South Hill parish centre, Holy Family Church
January 19th and 26th Park Road depot.

Waterford
From January 2nd
Compost Facility, Green Road, 9am - 4pm