Residents are concerned as their old Christmas trees are left rotting outside their homes. Cardiff city council run a scheme every January to collect and recycle unwanted trees. This year that doesn’t seem to have happened on many streets. On Dogo Street in Pontcanna, seven trees decorate the pavements. There are reports of other trees being left scattered throughout Ely, Rhiwbina and Canton.
Cardiff Council say their Christmas tree collection scheme is finished. They’ve told people they should take their trees to the nearest tip themselves.
But some residents have argued that they did leave their trees out at the appropriate time. Some say they have just been forgotten. Carlos, whose tree has been outside his house for over 2 weeks, says ‘no still nothing […] maybe there is a massive backlog’.
One Twitter user in Thornhill said ‘at this rate, we’ll be decorating it for next [Christmas]’, adding that there are at least 7 trees on her street. She was also told by the Cardiff council to take it to a recycling centre herself.
Carlos in Pontcanna also says that he and his neighbours have called the council several times but they’ve had no reply. He’s worried that the build up of trees is going to become an accessibility problem. He said, ‘I’ve had to collect it a few times from the road […] it was on it’s side but it just takes up to much space’. I have asked them for a comment, but am yet to receive a reply.
It seems to be a festive stand-off: to recycle or let it rot!