Environment: Christmas will claim 250,000 trees

Britain's Christmas will leave a body count of around a quarter of a million slain trees, the environment group Friends of the Earth claims today.

This year in the UK, the fifth-largest paper user in the world, an estimated 1.7 billion greetings cards will be sent, using 200,000 trees. A further 50,000 trees will go to wrap presents in 8,000 tons of paper. Friends of the Earth has criticised high-street stores for not stocking re-cycled products. "Major retailers deserve to be named and shamed for their lack of concern," Georgina Green of Friends of the Earth said. The public should also be doing more, she said. FoE recommends re-using gift wrap and sticking labels on cards for use next year.