Did you know that this is one of the most google searched questions at the end of December.
But did you know that burning the tree can have very dangerous consequences, especially if you don’t own a specially designed and manufactured incinerator!
Christmas trees were probably only felled a maximum of two months ago
Added to which you may have been watering it to keep it alive, meaning it is not nearly dry enough to be burnt. The sap from fresh trees can sometimes create a fire hazard in your chimney and the flammable turpentine oils can cause flare-ups or even chimney fires.
The wood from firs, pines and spruces can produce a lot of creosote.
This causes a build-up on chimney walls. Creosote is a flammable and corrosive substance created from the gases that are produced when burning wet wood. The dried needles can burn in a flash, causing a fierce fire. The needles can produce sparks that can fly into your room or go up the chimney and cause any creosote deposits to ignite, resulting in a chimney fire.
Many areas run a disposal of Christmas trees, which promise to recycle and environmentally dispose of your tree. Local authorities often arrange drop-off points or special collections of ‘real’ trees in early January and advertise the dates this will take place with any other changes to collections over the Christmas period. Check your local authority website for more information. Remember to remove all tinsel and decorations and any pots or stands. (from experience it never bodes well with the Mrs when the fav
ourite dec is still on the tree!)
Nordmann firs account for 80% of all real trees sold, which take around 10-12 years to grow to six ft. tall. Other estimates put the number of trees thrown away at closer to six million, creating more than 9,000 tonnes of additional waste. And WRAP estimates that 160,000 tonnes of trees are dumped into landfill each January.
And there’s that word again – landfill!
If they end in landfill, each tree costs the local authority around £2.32 in fees and landfill taxes, according to the Local Government Association's calculations. That figure will go up from April, when the price councils pay for every tonne of waste sent to landfill rises from £72 to £80.
Here at M and S Combustion we will keep blogging on how the UK and other countries can reduce this, save money, and dispose of Christmas trees that are not recycled safely.
But Please get in touch with our industry professionals at enquiries@mscombustion.com
or +44(0)7786 214039 to discuss
your #sustainabilty #incineration and #cremation needs