(14 Dec 2021) LEAD IN:
A London company is offering customers a chance to rent a Christmas tree and return it in the new year.
It is estimated around seven million trees end up in landfills every year, according to research by the University of Sheffield.
STORY-LINE:
Christmas trees are spreading festive cheer across the U.K. capital.
Dazzling decorations, giant baubles and a sparkling star atop this Christmas tree catch the attention of passers-by in St James's district.
Dotted around the city, Christmas tree seller Pine and Needles has opened its stores.
There is an air of optimism as business picks up again for the festive season.
"Last year, we saw a huge drop in corporate orders, of course, because offices were closed - so that was a big hit for us. But this year we've seen the corporate orders -- it's not back to what it used to be. But it's definitely picked up a bit as well," says explains Christopher Steele, Stores Marketing Assistant for Pines and Needles.
"And last year, we saw a big increase in online orders, but also the stores as we thought it might be quite bad, but I think people sort of took the opportunity to get out and about a bit and buying the Christmas trees in one of these stores, I think, provided a little bit of a Christmassy escape for a lot of people last year. So last year wasn't as bad as we thought it might have been for stores. But this year it's definitely going to pick up again."
But as companies look to be more environmentally friendly, new ways of obtaining a Christmas tree are becoming more popular.
Catherine Loveless is the co-founder of London Christmas Tree Rental, a project which started as a pilot in 2018.
Customers can order a tree online to be picked up in December from one of the rental hubs.
Once the rental period is over, the trees are collected in January and replanted.
"A customer would choose what size they want, and they'll order as early as beginning of November, and then they can come to a hub, and they can choose their tree and the trees are living, they're living, so they're in a pot, so they're quite heavy. But they basically can choose their tree. They take it home. It comes into the house for the Christmas period, and then after Christmas, it can go, they return it back here. It goes back to the farm where it's put into a special irrigation system, and then it's cared for until the following year. And then if they liked their tree, then they can rent it and have it back the following year," says Loveless.
The entrepreneur created the company after seeing the abundance of dead trees on the streets of London each January.
"I mean, it's been huge. We did a pilot and we're only three years old, so we're still really young. We're still learning all the time and trying to improve on elements. And when we did our pilot year, we just had, say, 50 trees and we just kind of tested the water and it was instantly clear to realise - OK, people really like the concept of renting their own tree. I don't think people knew that it even existed, but it was really wonderful that lots of people, I think, get really upset in January when you just see these beautiful trees. It's not the were anti-cut trees and grown trees always going to have limitations because you're never going to get it really growing above seven foot, happily. So there's always going to be limitations. And we're not anti-cut trees. We just wanted to give people an option and an alternative way to do Christmas trees," says Loveless.
It is estimated around seven million trees end up in landfills, according to research by the University of Sheffield.
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