Recycled Christmas Trees Minimize Flood Impact

Green technologies developed to help people cope with natural disasters don't have to be advanced or expensive to provide satisfactory results.

This theory is confirmed by the Environment Agency (EA), using abandoned Christmas trees to come up with an eco-friendly method of reducing flood impact.

The 'soft engineered' river bank protection method applied in rural regions is exploited to stabilize rivers. Discarded trees are placed along river banks to collect silt from the water.

Throughout this initiative, erosion is reduced and EA officials say that it also helps create a suitable habitat for the fish population. At the same time, recycled trees count as a much greener alternative to conventional materials used for the same purpose, like steel piling.

This simple strategy is much needed nowadays, since apparently one in six properties in England and Wales are exposed to devastating floods. In its new project, EA is counting on the contribution of the Forestry Commission and United Utilities, giving a new meaning to no-longer-needed Christmas trees.