A plastic problem in Long Ashton's landscape
- Amanda Barrett
- Nov 3
- 3 min read
...and how to remove it
Our latest project is a real community effort - removing thousands of old PVC tree guards.
From protector to micro-plastic-spreader
Many people shudder inwardly when they see old PVC tree guards clamped around a shrub or tree, strangling it as it tries to grow, or see it breaking down into shards of plastic that will - pretty soon - become micro-plastic rubbish. Here in Long Ashton, like so many other parishes, we have literally thousands and thousands of them. You'll find them all along the South Bristol Link road, down Festival Way and across the closed Yanley landfill site. The LANCE Trust sprung into action this autumn and found help was at hand.
Why do we use plastic tree guards?
Plastic tree guards, like the PVC spiral type we're targeting, are really effective at protecting young plants from various threats during their early growth stages. The guards shield trees from animals like rabbits, deer or livestock that might eat or damage their bark and shoots. They can also create a warmer, more humid microclimate that helps trees grow faster by trapping heat and reducing water loss. In addition, plastic guards provide mechanical protection against wind, debris, and equipment like lawnmowers and trimmers, while making trees more visible to people and machinery operators. Some designs also help suppress weeds by limiting the amount of light reaching the soil. Generally tree guards should only be left in situ for five to seven years. Left too long, they can restrict growth, trap moisture that causes rot, and - of course - contribute to plastic pollution. Sadly, millions and millions are left beyond this date.
Shouldn't we use a different material?
Unfortunately plastic is a very well-suited material to the initial life of a tree guard - it is light, strong and flexible but will still let in light. However, as time goes by, plastic tree guards become brittle and hazardous to people and wildlife, and can start restricting the growth of the tree or plant they were supposed to support. They do not biodegrade and depend on being manually collected. Even when they are removed, they can be hard to recycle. For these reasons, biodegradable alternatives made from materials like cardboard or cornstarch are becoming increasingly popular as a more sustainable option. You may have spotted some of the cardboard guards used at our Great Hedge Creation Project at Bridge Farm.
What can be done about recycling plastic tree guards?
Luckily, recycling schemes for the tricky PVC spirals are emerging. Back in 2020 after a request from a client in Yorkshire, Rainbow Professional launched the Rainbow Recycling scheme to effectively recycle old PVC spiral tree guards. Aiming to close the loop from supply, to collection, to recycling, to supply. Most of the waste is of reasonable quality and will be used to make tree ties or sent on to pipe and window manufacturers that use this type of PVC as a filling layer.
How it works:
Through this scheme bags that hold up to 800 old PVC spirals can be ordered either direct from Rainbow or one of its wholesalers such as Greentech. The bags cost £65 each (plus VAT) and a minimum of six bags needs to be ordered. The cost of the bags includes delivery and collection. So bulk collecting is needed and, for that, a team of volunteers works well.
Progress on recycling tree guards in Long Ashton
Throughout the year so far, one member of LANCE carried out some sterling work and collected approximately 2,000 guards (with full permission from the relevant landowner). This set things in motion for the baton to be passed to the Long Ashton Scouts who joined in recently and cleared 50% of the old guards from Festival Way, again with permission from the landowner. Sadly, a significant percentage of the guards had embedded their plastic in the hedgerow's trunks since they’ve been left for far too long before collection. The Scouts will do another sweep of Festival Way in the spring whilst corporate volunteers from Hewlett Packard have recently shown interest in joining in too.
How to get involved
We're building a list of anyone who is keen to join in with more collecting in late winter or early spring 2026. The best thing to do is to follow us on any of these channels:
In the meantime, if you’re out and about anywhere in the country and spot this problematic plastic you can support a programme called Plot That Plastic which aims to build a data set of where plastic tree guards are located.
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