A homelessness charity are bidding to build a sustainable Christmas tree made of plastic bottles.

Emmaus Norfolk & Waveney is helping to collect empty soft drink bottles at their shop and café in Ditchingham, which Precious Plastic East will transform into a zero-waste tree.  

The homelessness organisation are calling upon customers to bring in used empty bottles and help to reduce unnecessary waste this festive season. 

Over the last year, Emmaus saved over 2,000 tonnes of waste from going to landfill through the sale of second-hand items in their shops and upcycling furniture. 

Debbie Jackson, events, marketing, and communications coordinator at Emmaus Norfolk and Waveney said: “We’re pleased to support Precious Plastic East with this project.  

“There’s so much waste this time of year so it’s a great way to counteract that.

"We hope our customers and community will help us out by bringing bottles into our Ditchingham showroom and café.” 

The tree, which will hang in the middle of East Point Pavilion, Lowestoft, will be made up of 625 plastic bottles and will be unveiled at the Pavilion’s Festive Fayre on Friday December 2. 

At the end of the festivities, Precious Plastic East will disassemble the 625 plastic bottles and recycle them into 3D printer filament which the group will use to make new products including combs, coasters, and buttons. 

Dan, operations manager at Precious Plastic East says: “Our mission is to get people to transform how they think of existing waste plastic, rather than thinking of it as rubbish.  

“The opportunity to create a Christmas tree from plastic bottles felt like the perfect opportunity to make one of the most precious symbols of Christmas out of something normally thought of as waste.  

“We feel so grateful to have Emmaus’ support with the collections, it’s great to feel the Norfolk community coming together.” 

The public can donate their plastic bottles to the project until 23rd November by dropping them off at: 

Emmaus Norfolk & Waveney’s Ditchingham, Bungay showroom and cafe, at East Point Pavilion, Lowestoft, PrimeYARC in Market Gates Shopping Centre in Great Yarmouth, or the Precious Plastic East workshop at 18 Estcourt Road, NR30 4JQ.