O Christmas Tree

As the holiday season draws to a close, the streets have become decorated with a new addition — Christmas Trees!

These festive symbols bring warmth and the subtle fragrance of pine needles into our homes, and — perhaps most importantly — provide cats with a world of enjoyment. Yet, as the pine needles take their inevitable descent and the tree takes on its weary brownish hue, it’s seemingly time for them to be kicked to the curb.

Whilst trees are often collected from the curbside, they are frequently left in a way that obstructs the pavement.

Reflecting on our recent collaboration with RNIB, a project highlighting the challenges posed to blind people by electric rental bikes obstructing pavements, we can’t help but notice parallels with this common practice of Christmas tree disposing.

This is also a classic example of social norms — once one tree appears on the pavement it mysteriously attracts others, until there is a veritable pine forest, despite being an unsuitable location for such disposal.

So, what can be done? For individuals, this is about checking your local guidelines and being thoughtful about them, this means disposing as close to the collection time as possible and ensuring there’s a clear path for others. For Local Authorities, it may be opportune to consider implementing interventions to improve things for next year.