The January blues are setting in, compounded by the fact the nation’s streets are littered with dozens of discarded Christmas trees.
It’s commonly believed that 6 January is the last day to take your festive decorations down before it becomes unlucky – and because of this, forests of trees are being flung out onto the streets before the weekend hits.
The UK buys as many as eight million natural Christmas trees each year, but around seven million of these are discarded, with the other million used as compost, according to The Independent.
Understandably, a lot of people are saddened by the sight of fallen trees littering the pavements, stripped of their twinkling fairy lights and beautiful baubles. A ghost of their former selves. It’s enough to bring a tear to the eye.
There are some who are enjoying the sight, however, and that’s the nation’s dog population.
If you’ve got a real Christmas tree and can’t quite bear to leave it out in the middle of the street, cold and alone, there are a handful of ways to recycle it.
Environment and climate change charity Greenpeace recommends: replanting it in the garden, dropping it at your local garden centre, donating it to a conservation scheme or leaving it with your garden waste collection – if you don’t have one of those, you can contact your council and get them to pick it up.