Parkdean Resorts crafts ‘rubbish’ Christmas tree from Croyde Beach waste

Parkdean Resorts, the UK’s leading holiday park operator, is showcasing a ‘Rubbish Christmas Tree’ structure at Croyde Beach, made using beach waste collected by the Ruda Beach Team throughout the year.

Made from a collection of disposed fishing nets, recycled tent poles and guy ropes, the festive structure stands at more than 9 feet tall, and aims to highlight the widespread issue of marine waste affecting coastal areas. Created with an empty frame, the Christmas tree’s ‘undecorated’ design will encourage members of the public to add their own beach waste findings as decoration, with the aim to have a fully decorated tree and a cleaner beach by the time Christmas arrives.

Parkdean Resorts is committed to caring for its parks, people and planet to create a positive environmental impact on nature and resources, and to acting responsibly for the long-term sustainability of its business. In addition to the Christmas tree, the team at Ruda has also commissioned Exeter-based firm, DCW Polymers, to create two park benches, made from a total of 94kg of recycled beach waste collected from Croyde Beach throughout the year by the Parkdean team.

The park was also successful in applying for Devon County Council’s Free Tree Initiative, receiving 45 native broadleaves, consisting of oak, birch and cherry trees. Planted by the Ruda team and a group of local residents, the trees were re-homed around the lakes to enhance the existing riparian border, bringing improved water quality, enhanced biodiversity and bio abundance, and mitigating flood risk.

Ruda Holiday Park in Croyde is one of 66 parks owned by Parkdean Resorts. Sitting within North Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the team at Ruda is committed to responsibly managing Croyde Beach and the surrounding area to keep it fun, inviting, and clean for the community, as well as the 90,000 holidaymakers who visit the park each year.

Holly Robertson, Beach Team Manager at Ruda Holiday Park, said: “We want to create a positive social and environmental impact, and our mission is to put sustainability at the heart of staycations. We’re always looking to come up with new initiatives to raise awareness of the environmental issues we face, and we hope local residents will get involved with our festive initiative to create the most eye-catching Christmas Tree in Devon.”

Jason Goozee, Head of DCW Polymers, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Ruda Holiday Park to help create a truly circular sustainable model. With the creation and installation of these park benches, we’re able to upcycle discarded plastic collected from marine environments into beautiful, useful and long-lasting products, giving this plastic waste a new lease on life for visitors of Croyde Beach to enjoy for years to come.”

Last year, Parkdean Resorts launched 25 commitments which it will achieve by 2025, across Environment, Society and Governance, including attracting and developing diverse talent, reducing CO2 by 25%, a 75% reduction in waste to landfill, and the publication of an annual report detailing how it will care for its Parks, People and Planet.