World’s first artificial tree recycling programme

AN ARTIFICIAL Christmas tree recycling programme is currently running over the holiday season at Ballymount Civic Amenity centre.

Project reTREE, running from November 15 until January 31, 2026, is a collaboration between Balsam Hill, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council, WEEE Ireland, Thorntons Recycling, Panda and local bring-centre teams. Residents can drop any artificial tree any brand, with or without lights to Ballymount Civic Amenity or Ballyogan Recycling Centre for responsible recycling.

New research from Balsam Hill shows that more than one million artificial Christmas trees have already reached end-of-life in Ireland, yet until now there has been no proven way to recycle them.

Despite public belief that old trees are recycled or landfilled, the majority are currently incinerated.

According to Balsam, that gap has led Dublin to launch the world’s first dedicated artificial Christmas tree recycling programme.

Their research revealed that 68% of people in Ireland will put up an artificial tree this year with 33% of those trees already 5–10 years old.

Furthermore 69% say a national recycling scheme is overdue and 72% say sustainability is shaping how they celebrate Christmas.

Anyone recycling a tree will receive a 10% discount towards a new Balsam Hill tree (though the brand emphasises longevity first, replacement second).

Balsam Brands founder & CEO Mac Harman calls the Dublin pilot “a big step forward in our sustainability journey,” with long-term plans to scale across the UK, Europe, the US and beyond.