Bottles of Christmas cheer in Ealing

A Christmas tree made of 900 plastic bottles is on display in the London borough of Ealing this December in order to encourage recycling over the festive season.

The six-metre tall tree, on display outside Ealing Town Hall, was built by artist Ashley Phillips and commissioned by Ealing Council as part of its ‘50 percent by 2020’ recycling campaign.

“This striking tree not only helps us celebrate Christmas, it comes with a green message,” said Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for environment and transport. “Astonishingly, the same number of bottles used on the tree is used in the UK every two seconds. We are encouraging residents to take two seconds to recycle.

“The tree is designed to make people think about how much we all consume and how items could be reused.

“Christmas is a crucial time for refuse and recycling in the borough. Over the festive period the amount we send to landfill rises by 20 percent, costing us more than £1million.’’

Most homes in the borough can recycle plastic and the council is extending this service to people in flats.

Artist, Ashley Phillips, added: “It’s been fantastic to work on this project and have such an important message involved. I hope that residents will enjoy this art installation and take the time to think about how much they recycle.”