{"id":881236,"date":"2025-12-28T01:14:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/28\/renting-christmas-tree-growing-more-popular-to-cut-waste-says-business\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T01:14:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:14:11","slug":"renting-christmas-tree-growing-more-popular-to-cut-waste-says-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/28\/renting-christmas-tree-growing-more-popular-to-cut-waste-says-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Renting Christmas tree growing more popular to cut waste, says business"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rented Christmas trees<\/a> are growing in popularity because of concerns about the millions which end up in landfill each year, according to a farm shop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Kilnford Farm Shop in Dumfries began renting potted Christmas trees three years ago, amid ecological concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The trees are expected to be rented to the same families for about a decade, before potentially being rented commercially when they are too big.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After they have reached their lifespan, the fir trees will be \u201cretired\u201d to the farm, and will provide a wildlife haven.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The farm shop delivers to neighbouring postcodes, and prices range between \u00a348 to \u00a363 depending on the size, with a \u00a315 returnable deposit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Steve Pearman dresses up as an elf to deliver the rented Christmas trees (Steve Pearman\/PA Wire).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Steve Pearman, 63, a business partner and father-of-four who delivers the trees dressed as an elf, said he hopes renting a tree will become a family tradition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This year, 86% of rentals have been to returning customers, and the trees are looked after in the nursery in the summer months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Pearman said: \u201cThis is the third year we have been doing it, but we are trying to make it fun, not just about the environment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAround eight million trees are put in landfill or chipped each year, and plastic trees produce a huge carbon footprint.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe impact is huge and I don\u2019t think people realise it. We are trying to make it a fun tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Renters are given a \u201cSanta pack\u201d with instructions, a bauble, a 500ml water bottle for maintaining the tree, and games.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Read More<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Pearman said: \u201cThe first thing that happens when anyone sees me dressed up as an elf, is it puts a smile on people\u2019s faces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe are trying to get the environmental message across, but also make it a family thing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe put everyone\u2019s name on the tree when it comes back. We\u2019ve had people come back three years running to get the same tree.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All the trees are grown on site, along with shrubs and herbs, at the self-sufficient farm shop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In 2022, the University of Sheffield estimated seven million Christmas trees end up in landfill in the UK each year, releasing an estimated 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to a paper published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering journal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Pearman said: \u201cYou could have the same tree for 10 years. They never go to waste and when they are planted on the farm they will become a wildlife haven.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat tree will never get wasted. We have about 200 going out at the moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe price is locked in, so you could rent a tree for \u00a340 and it would be the same price in 10 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt actually saves people money in the long run. There is no inflation. We put it up and engage with the kids.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI think we are right at the start of a new way of doing Christmas trees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe are encouraging people to take pictures of their kids beside the tree, to compare which is growing faster, the tree or the kids.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s an interesting concept and I think it will get bigger and bigger.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe are putting people\u2019s name on the tree as they come back. Some people are even naming the trees, we have seen Spiky and Spruce the Bruce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe kids love that they will get Spiky back next year \u2013 they have got attached to the trees, and can see how much it grows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe pots are so heavy that cats will probably be able to climb the tree without causing any damage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Pearman said it can take up to eight years to grow a 3ft tree, and a decade to grow a 6ft tree.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He added: \u201cWe are looking at doing commercial rentals as well. Once it has grown too big for someone\u2019s home, it could be in a hotel lobby.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOnce that\u2019s too big, it has to be planted. It is taking a cyclical approach rather than dumping them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhen I was a kid we would buy a tree, then dispose of it. I think that has changed in the past 20 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe intend to tell people where on the farm they have been planted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sarah Ward
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rented Christmas trees are growing in popularity because of concerns about the millions which end up in landfill each year, according to a farm shop. Kilnford Farm Shop in Dumfries began renting potted Christmas trees three years ago, amid ecological concerns. The trees are expected to be rented to the same families for about a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":881237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[555,25540],"tags":[9835,20231],"class_list":{"0":"post-881236","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christmas","8":"category-renting","9":"tag-christmas","10":"tag-renting"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=881236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/881237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=881236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=881236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=881236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}