As the festive season closes, local authorities in Dublin are providing a Christmas tree disposal service.
For the past three years residents of Dublin have been bringing their Christmas trees to parks for recycling. The trees are turned into mulch, which will be used by local authorities in public amenity areas throughout the year.
Cathaoirleach of South Dublin County Council Breda Cass supports this initiative, which promotes sustainability, and in addition,
It's most economical, and it’s friendly to the environment.
The public can help people in developing countries too, by bringing paper to be recycled. Hannay Recycling has donated the bins to Concern.
As the charity also works with communities in developing countries affected by deforestation, Concern chief executive Fr Aengus Finnucane believes this paper recycling scheme is helping in a small way,
Putting back a little from what we have taken out.
One Christmas tree which will not be recycled this year is the Nashville White Pine which was a gift to the city of Belfast from United States President Bill Clinton.
Fears that it is host to a microscopic worm means that it will be incinerated later this month by the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 5 January 1996. The reporter is Michael O’Kane.
