Witney News - More tree chippings despite bad weather

More tree chippings despite bad weather

January’s snow and freezing conditions failed to stop West Oxfordshire residents from helping the environment by getting their real Christmas trees recycled.

Almost an extra tonne of Christmas trees have been chipped in West Oxfordshire this year; despite sessions across the district being put back a week due to the adverse weather.

West Oxfordshire District Council organises the free sessions every January to give people the chance to get their trees turned into chippings which are then used to create eco-friendly biomass energy.

Last year, 10.25 tonnes of chippings were collected in the district. This year, 11.3 tonnes – the weight of two African elephants – were collected from trees taken to sessions and drop-off points in Burford, Carterton, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Eynsham, Long Hanborough, Tackley, Witney and Woodstock.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We had to postpone the sessions at short notice because of the weather and we thought this might have decreased the number of trees brought along. However, we gave people the chance to leave their trees to be chipped and ran the sessions a week later than planned, and although the weather was still affecting travelling conditions people made the effort to come along.

“We are extremely grateful and I would like to thank our residents. This has stopped hundreds of trees from going to landfill and they are being put to good use instead.”

Oxfordshire-based Goodwood Tree Care Ltd helped with the chipping sessions. Half of the chippings have been sent for biomass and will create enough energy to supply heat and hot water to a large three-bedroom house for more than four months during the winter. The rest of the chippings have been used locally on shrub beds.

For more information about other aspects of waste and recycling in West Oxfordshire, visit www.westoxon.gov.uk/environment or call 01993 861020