Free tree shelter recycling now available in Lincolnshire

The recycled material will be used to manufacture brand new tree shelters.

A national scheme to collect and recycle tree shelters – also known as tree guards or tubes – has come to Lincolnshire.

Commonly seen by the side of roads and in new woodlands, tree shelters are placed around newly planted saplings to help them grow and to protect them from being eaten by animals such as rabbits or deer.

Tubex, the UK’s largest manufacturer of treeshelters, has officially opened a number of recycling hubs across the country for another season, and is calling for people to collect used tree shelters from their land so they can be recycled.

One of these recycling hubs is now open at British Hardwood Tree Nursery in Snitterby (DN21 4TZ), allowing foresters, farmers, landscapers and landowners to recycle their tree shelters at no cost.

All types of tree shelters will be accepted at the hub, as long as they are made from polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE).

Recyclable plastic tree shelters are proven to protect trees during their vulnerable early years and are the lowest environmental impact type of tree shelter - but only when they are recycled at end-of-use.

James Taylor, from Tubex said: “Many people are concerned about legacy plastics in our woodlands – and quite rightly, as historically there has not been enough focus on removing and recycling them after use.

“With the help of responsible landowners, we were able to collect and recycle over 250,000 used shelters last year - and we hope to recycle even more this year.

“We would strongly encourage anyone who has used tree shelters on their land to bring them to our Snitterby recycling hub throughout the summer, free of charge.”

Once collected, the used tree shelters will be recycled by Tubex and the recycled material used to manufacture brand new tree shelters.

Anyone interested in recycling their tree shelters can book an appointment by emailing: [email protected].

The hub network was launched at the end of the 2022-23 season, to complement the company’s existing means of collection viaon-site pick-up launched in 2021.

More details can be found online on the Tubex website: tubex.com/recycling