Yorkshire Trust Diverts 85 Tonnes of Plastic from Forests

A pioneering recycling program started by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust is cleaning up millions of abandoned plastic tree guards before they fragment into Britain's soil and waterways.

The Trust began collecting discarded tree shelters in their region, then partnered with manufacturer Tubex in 2020 to create one of the UK's first dedicated collection hubs. That single initiative has grown into a national network spanning England, Scotland and Wales, diverting 85 tonnes of plastic from environmental harm in 2025 alone.

The problem is bigger than most realize. Around 16 million plastic tree shelters get used across Britain each year to protect young saplings from animals and weather.

These guards were supposed to degrade naturally, but scientists discovered they actually fragment into microplastics instead. With government targets requiring 30,000 hectares of new woodland planted annually, the scale of abandoned plastic could become unmanageable without immediate action.

Mike Appleton, senior woodland grants officer at the Trust, explains the urgency simply. "Tree planting is increasing rapidly, but the systems for dealing with associated waste haven't kept pace," he says. "If we don't fix that now, the clean-up challenge only gets bigger."

The Trust now co-chairs the Forest Plastics Working Group, bringing together over 30 organizations across forestry, conservation and policy sectors. Together they're reducing plastic use in tree planting while improving recovery and recycling systems.

The Ripple Effect

The model works because it makes recycling accessible. Collected shelters get transformed by Tubex into pellets for new products, giving the plastic new life instead of decades fragmenting in hedgerows.

The National Trust recycled nearly 50,000 plastic tree shelters in 2025 after adopting the Yorkshire model. "Support from YDMT made hosting the recycling hubs possible," says Steven Smith, tree and woodland adviser for the north of England.

A citizen science app called Plot That Plastic is now mapping the true scale of the problem. Since launching in 2024, users have recorded 1.9 million tubes across Britain, with only 19,000 marked as removed.

The groups are calling for minimum recovery standards in publicly funded planting schemes, including clear plans for what happens to shelters at end-of-life. Right now, responsibility often falls through the cracks when land ownership changes or maintenance agreements expire.

What started as one trust cleaning up their corner of Yorkshire has become a blueprint for tackling plastic pollution nationwide, one tree shelter at a time.