People are being urged to dispose of their Christmas trees correctly this year to avoid being fined.

Councils across Sussex are making it easy for residents to get rid of their unwanted trees as the festivities come to an end.

Brighton and Hove

In Brighton, real and artificial Christmas trees can be taken to household waste recycling sites. 

Real trees can be chopped up and recycled in your garden waste if you've signed up to the council's paid-for collection service.

But do not leave trees on the pavement, road or beside a communal bin. This is flytipping and you could be fined.

A charity called Off The Fence also offers a collection service.

The suggested donation is based on the size of your Christmas tree with a minimum of £10.

The trees are collected and taken to a farm in Ditchling for chipping and recycling.

Registration closes by Tuesday, January 9, and collections take place on January 15 and 16. You can book your collection with them online.

Real trees can also be left at any of Brighton and Hove City Council's 22 Christmas tree recycling points across the city.

Before leaving your tree, remove it from its pot and make sure you have taken off all the decorations.

Every real tree is turned into soil improver or compost.

Then Christmas tree recycling points opened on Wednesday and stay open until Monday, January 22.

Brighton recycling points:

  • Upper Bevendean Avenue - opposite the shops, by the recycling site
  • Coldean Lane - opposite Park Road, near the junction with A270
  • Wilson Avenue - East Brighton Park, the grass between the wall and the bike racks
  • Ditchling Road - Hollingbury Park, north end, opposite the golf course entrance on the corner of Woodbourne
  • Ladies Mile Road - junction with Mackie Avenue, behind the clock tower
  • Mackie Avenue - junction of Plainfields, playing field opposite the shops
  • Montpelier Crescent - next to the recycling point
  • Preston Drove - Preston Park, north entrance, next to the recycling site
  • South Avenue - south of Queen's Park, by the pond
  • Union Road - north end of The Level, behind the recycling site
  • Upper Rock Gardens - paved area outside St. Mary's Church

The council is no longer operating collection sites at:

  • Withdean Stadium - the closest recycling point is now Preston Park
  • Upper Bedford Street - the closest recycling point is now Upper Rock Gardens

If you leave a tree at these sites, it will be treated as flytipping and you could be fined.

Hove recycling points

  • Hove Lawns - opposite Adelaide Crescent
  • Hove Lawns - opposite Third Avenue
  • Hangleton Park - on right hand side from Lark Hill, alongside the basketball court
  • Hove Park - end of Orchard Road 
  • Wish Park Recreation Ground - Wish Road, north east corner, by the playground
  • East Hill Park - Millcross Road entrance
  • Victoria Recreation Ground - Victoria Road, West side of the car park
  • St Ann's Well Gardens - on the grass by the Furze Hill entrance of the park

The recycling point in St Ann's Well Gardens has moved to the Furze Hill entrance of the park.

Saltdean/east recycling points

  • Saltdean Park Road - Saltdean Lido, in the car park to the left hand side of recycling site
  • Lockwood Crescent - Woodingdean Central Park, in the corner opposite recycling point
  • Falmer Road - Happy Valley car park, left hand side of entrance barrier, opposite Crescent Drive South

Adur and Worthing 

Real Christmas trees will be collected from Thursday, January 11.

Trees should be put out next to your wheelie bins ready for collection by 6.30am on the morning of your next bin collection day after this date.

People are asked to cut big trees into smaller pieces if possible.

If you live in a flat and have a communal bin area then put your trees out at the end of your entrance path near to, but not on, the pavement in a visible location so that they can be collected. 

Lewes and Eastbourne 

If you have opted in to the paid garden waste collection service, you can recycle your real Christmas tree by cutting it up and placing it in your brown bin or leaving it in manageable chunks (less than 120cm or 4ft tall) next to your brown bin. 

Make sure all decorations, tree stands and pots are removed before recycling.

Alternatively, you can take it to one of the many collection points across Eastbourne by Sunday, January 21, 2024.

Parks:

  • Princes Park 
  • Archery Park
  • Hampden Park 
  • Gildredge Park

Car parks:

  • Atlantic Drive
  • Fisherman's Green
  • Treasure Island
  • Holly Place
  • Sevenoaks Road.