Young people from 79th Reading have helped to recycle a tonne of Christmas trees this New Year as part of a sustainable fundraising initiative.
The young people, supervised by adult volunteers, collected 80 discarded Christmas trees from households from across Reading, including donations as far afield as Caversham and Shinfield.
The trees were collected by two vans – reducing emissions from individual tip trips – and transported to the group’s hut on Armour Road, where they were chopped up and prepared for their recycling journey.
“It’s important to recycle Christmas trees properly so they don’t go to landfill” said Thomas, a Scout. “They can also be used to help new trees grow. I had fun chopping the trees with the big cutters.”
Scout Kevin added: “I loved our Christmas tree recycling project. It felt good to help the planet by keeping trees out of landfills and turning them into something new. A perfect mix of fun and fundraising,” he said.
Adult volunteer Sarah said: “We were thrilled with the response to our first Christmas tree collections, which will likely mean we will do it all again next January. We have had some lovely gifts and messages of thanks from people who are supportive of this small, but positive environmental impact, which is all going to a great cause to provide international opportunities to our Scouts.”
The funds raised by the initiative will be used towards the group’s participation at WINGS, the international Jamboree for Scouts and Guides from around the world, taking place this summer at Windsor Great Park.