Tree shelters are used to protect young trees and bushes from predation by animals and are well-proven to limit losses in the first 5 years of a tree’s life. However, the majority are never collected at the end of their operational life. As they are traditionally made from oil-based, non-biodegradable plastics, they end up littering landscapes with large and small pieces of plastic. Plans to significantly increase tree planting as part of the UK’s push to net-zero emissions are expected to exacerbate this problem further.
