Families and businesses across North Staffordshire and South Cheshire are being urged to take part in a popular festive recycling scheme that supports a vital local hospice. Dougie Mac, the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, has confirmed that its annual TreeCycle initiative is now open for registrations, offering a convenient and environmentally friendly solution for disposing of real Christmas trees.
How The TreeCycle Scheme Works
The process is designed to be simple for participants while generating crucial funds for the hospice's specialist care services. Households, businesses, schools, and churches must register their tree online before the deadline of 11.59pm on January 5, 2026. In return for a donation, an army of dedicated volunteers will collect the trees directly from outside the registered address.
The collection will take place over the weekend of January 9 and 12, 2026. The service is available to addresses within a specific set of postcodes: ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7, ST8, ST9, ST10, ST11, ST12, ST13, TF9 and CW3.
Turning Trees into Care and Compost
Once collected, all trees are taken to be sustainably processed. The hospice's partner, Brown Recycling Limited, will chip the trees and turn them into compost, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Meanwhile, the donations received directly fund Dougie Mac's palliative and supportive care for adults, young adults, and children, as well as their families.
Deborah Vickers, Head of Business and Events Fundraising at Dougie Mac, explained the dual benefit of the scheme. "Our Christmas Tree Cycle takes away the hassle and mess of disposing of your tree," she said. "We collect it from your house and recycle it responsibly. All we ask for is a donation to support our care services."
The Real Impact of Your Donation
Vickers highlighted how public contributions make a tangible difference to patients. "Your donation supports our specialist care services, enabling us to be there for more people when they need us most," she stated. "For example, a donation of £20 could pay for pain relief medication for patients at a critical time."
This initiative provides a practical community service, promotes environmental responsibility, and channels vital resources into local hospice care. Residents are encouraged to plan ahead to avoid missing the registration cut-off and to ensure their tree is ready for collection on the designated weekend.
To register a tree, make a donation, and find full details about the Dougie Mac TreeCycle, visit www.dougiemac.org.uk/tree-collection.
