TREE-SHELTER specialist Tubex has announced a major expansion of its collection and recycling programme, offering hubs around the UK where shelters can be dropped off to be recycled, free of charge.

The scheme is a joint initiative with charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), which opened several hubs of its own in 2021.

There will be a total of 14 national hub locations launched this year. As well as YDMT’s sites, Tubex’s parent company Berry Global will provide five of the hub locations, while forest and woodland management company Tilhill is also supporting the scheme by offering two locations.

Forestry Journal:

Tubex will be covering all costs after the bags of used tree shelters are dropped at the hubs, including baling, washing, recycling and re-pelletizing the material so that it can be used to create more shelters.

Not only will all types of Tubex shelters be accepted (including mesh shelters), but shelters that are manufactured by other brands can also be recycled at the hubs (providing the shelters are made from polypropylene – which can be identified by a small ‘PP’ symbol on the tree shelter).

Tubex’s marketing and product development director James Taylor said: “This new hub scheme is a significant investment from Tubex into the industry to ensure responsible solutions for the tree shelters at their end of life.

“Our hubs now provide a convenient way for our customers to ensure that their shelters will be handled responsively at end-of-life, completely free of cost.

“It is also ideal for smaller-scale planting projects that are often not able to fill the six bulk bags required for our direct collection service at £39 per bag.”