Plastic tree shelters protect young trees from threats like rabbits, deer, and other mammals, significantly increasing their chances of survival. 

It is estimated that 16 million plastic tree shelters are used every year to protect new trees as they grow. Guards should be removed from trees once they begin to split, after this they can hinder the tree’s growth as well as starting to break up into smaller pieces of plastic. However they are often left in situ and the plastic they leave behind is polluting our soils and waterways.

We are working in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) to free trees of their plastic. Through the Tubex tree shelter collection and recycling programme we are helping landowners and land managers remove and recycle their used tree guards.

We can help

We have a team of volunteers that work with landowners and land managers to remove, sort and collect the tree guards into bulk bags.

Bulk bags of used tree guards can be taken to Skipton or Hawes for free recycling by Tubex. The old guards are recycled into new tree guards and other plastic products, leaving Nidderdale National Landscape with less plastic pollution and happy healthy trees growing for everyone’s future. The drop off points are usually open twice a year in May and September.

For further information and if you need help collecting old guards, contact Liz Milner by emailing [email protected].