The Circle of Life
As a business, we are very conscious of the way we grow our trees and do as much as possible to make the plantations environmentally friendly and a safe haven for wildlife.
The Environmental Impact of Real Christmas Trees
Choosing to celebrate your Christmas with a real tree has a significant positive environmental impact. Here’s why:
- Growth Period: A real tree spends around 8 years growing in the field before it is harvested. During this time, it converts CO2 into oxygen, provides a habitat for wildlife, and keeps large tracts of open spaces green across the region.
- Sustainability: Unlike artificial alternatives, a real tree is 100% recyclable and biodegradable at the end of its life.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
We are constantly looking for ways to ensure a complete circle of life for our trees. Here’s how we do it:
- Recycling: We turn recycled trees into woodchip, which we mix with farmyard manure and special bacteria to accelerate the composting process. This compost is then used as a soil improver around the 15,000 young trees we plant each year.
- Biodegradable Netting: We are trialing biodegradable tree netting made from plant-derived plastic, typically sourced from renewable plants such as corn starch, sugar cane, or sugar beet pulp.
- Eco-Friendly Practices: With over 25 years of experience, we have replaced plastic bags in our Christmas Barn with paper alternatives. We constantly look to improve our sustainability and have invested in specialist machinery to tend our trees with minimal environmental impact.
- Modern Equipment: We use modern tractors to minimize soil damage during harvesting and are continually working to reduce our carbon footprint. Our growing methods are evolving to improve soil management, build up soil carbon, and enhance soil nutrient levels, ensuring healthy and strong crops.
Local and Environmentally Friendly
All of our Christmas trees are grown within 2 miles of our Christmas Barn at Wigginton Lodge, ensuring minimal transport emissions and supporting the local environment. We use local contractors and support businesses and employ local people to help support the local community.
Recycling
Many local councils offer recycling services for Christmas trees. You can also cut it into smaller pieces and compost it or use the branches as mulch in your garden. We also offer a free recycling service to customers during the first two weekends in January.
Address
Christmas Barn
Wigginton Lodge
Wigginton Road
York
YO32 2RH
Important Reminder
Please remember to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastics, and any pots or stands before you bring the tree to us.