What Happens to St Austell’s Tree Offcuts? The Answer Might Surprise You

Ever wondered what happens to all the offcuts from tree and hedge pruning in St Austell? The town’s grounds team has a clever way of putting them to good use.

Turning Offcuts into Mulch

Rather than letting the branches and trimmings go to waste, the team stores them until winter when a woodchipper is brought in to break them down into mulch. This mulch is then spread across flower beds in green spaces throughout the parish.

With an estimated 4 tonnes of mulch produced every year, this approach keeps St Austell’s parks and gardens looking their best while also benefiting the environment.

Why This Matters

This method comes with a host of benefits:

• Environmentally friendly – Instead of disposing of the offcuts, they are repurposed to enrich the soil.
• Chemical-free weed control – The mulch helps suppress weeds, reducing the need for chemical treatments.
• Waste reduction – By recycling the offcuts, the town council minimises the overall waste it produces.
• Free and effective – This process doesn’t cost anything extra but provides a valuable resource for maintaining the town’s green spaces.

St Austell’s approach to waste management is proving that small, practical steps can make a big difference for both the environment and the community.