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Here at British Hardwood Tree Nursery, we are proud to be a drop off hub for the Tubex Collection & Recycling Scheme.
Using a drop off hub is a cost-effective way to ensure tree protection that has reached the end of its useful life is recycled in the proper way.
Bear in mind, if you are not able to drop off your filled bags, you can order a collection via our website or by calling the office.
It's been a busy summer so far with drop offs, and our collection bay is almost full again with spent tree protection. We'll be open as a drop off hub until the end of September.
Find out how you can participate here.
The below case study outlines how we were able to help a local charity last summer with clearing spent tree protection – whilst having the added bonus of saying hallo to some of their lovely horsey residents!
The Tubex Tree Shelter Collection & Recycling Programme
In July 2023, British Hardwood Tree Nursery (BHTN) supported a local charity, the Bransby Horse charity, by removing Tubex Tree protection that had reached the end of its useful life from one of their woodland sites.
After removing, the tree shelters were recycled as part of the Tubex Tree Shelter Collection & Recycling Programme.
The Tubex Tree Shelter Collection & Recycling Programme aims to create a second life for tree protection, so they can be processed into new tubes down the line.
Bransby Horse Charity
The Bransby Horse charity was originally formed back in 1968 by the founder member Peter Hunt. Peter had rescued his first horse back in 1947. Sally was a four-year-old mare and was found near a bombsite in South London. She was in a very poor state and was in need of love and attention to get her back to a good state of health.
From this moment Peter's passion was born, and over twenty years later in 1968, he was able to purchase an 8 acre site in the hamlet of Bransby and this is where his dream began to ease equine suffering.
Over the years the Bransby Horse charity has developed over 2 sites. The site at Bransby has now increased to 600 acres and they also have a sister site at Barlings near Langworth which is around 800 acres.
Over the two sites the charity is able to care for over 300 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, all with their own unique history as to why they needed the love and support of this wonderful charity to give them a better life.
Protecting Trees with Tree Protection
To enhance both sites the charity has planted many seedling trees, using Tubex tree protection to protect the young plants from animal nibbling until they were old enough to 'go it alone' and the shelters could be removed.
Team Effort
Keen to help out, three British Hardwood Tree Nursery staff members swapped their 'office' in Snitterby to support the charity. Alex Major (Warehouse Supervisor), Alex Mercer (Warehouse Operative) and Dawn Barks (Despatch Supervisor) relocated temporarily to Bransby Horses, near Lincoln.
They removed approximately 2500 spent tubes, bagging them up into 1 tonne bags, then transporting them back to HQ in Snitterby, ready for Tubex to collect.
Dawn Barks, from British Hardwood Tree Nursery commented "It was great to be able to remove the tree shelters for recycling, supporting the charity in their work, and getting to spend some time with the beautiful horses and hearing their stories."
Positive Impact
Amanda Anderson, Estates Administrator Bransby Horses commented, "We would like to thank British Hardwood Tree Nursery and their staff members for giving up their time to volunteer to remove the tree guards from our woodlands here at both our Bransby and Barling's site. The event was a big success, with a substantial amount of Tubex guards being removed over a two-day period."
She continued "We would also like to thank Tubex who have the infrastructure in place to recycle the shelters once they have reached their end-of-life span. Our environmental approach is very much about minimising the impact on wildlife and the local environment. Whilst tree shelters are essential to protecting saplings from animal browsing, it's also vital that we remove the end of life to ensure a circularity of material use and to remove plastics from the environment."
The Future
British Hardwood Tree Nursery look forward to volunteering again to help the charity with tree shelter removal once their new seedlings have become established.
In the meantime, the tubes that were removed were collected by Tubex and recycled at their own recycling plant, ensuring they have a second life.
British Hardwood Tree Nursery is open (by prior arrangement) for the drop off of filled recycling bags during the summer period. Find out more here.
