A RECYCLING project has teamed up with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust to plant 300 trees in the Dales.

Harrogate-based Cone Exchange, the community recycling project of Bettys & Taylors Group, works with local schools, community groups, social enterprises and charities to transform trash into treasure, repurposing materials that would otherwise have ended up in landfill whilst also providing a valuable resource for crafters from the local area.

The profits from the sale of paper, card and other paper materials will be used to fund the relationship – turning paper back into trees by planting 300 new trees this year with a further 400 planned over the next two years.

Carol Douglas, Woodland Officer at YDMT, said: “Through our ‘Together for Trees’ campaign we are working with many supporters such as Cone Exchange to plant 100,000 additional trees across the region.

“Trees are hugely valuable as a habitat for wildlife support some of our most endangered woodland animals, like red squirrels and dormice."

“They are also important for our mental health and wellbeing and we believe that everyone should have access to them. The appeal aims to raise funds to create beautiful woodlands that everyone can enjoy for years to come.”

With the Trust having supported the planting of 30,000 trees since the appeal was launched in summer 2018, they are well on the way to reaching their ‘Together for Trees’ target of 100,000 over the next two years.

Michael Devlin, Development Manager at YDMT, said: “We’re really grateful to Cone Exchange and all their volunteers and customers for their support in helping to restore native woodland to the Yorkshire Dales. We look forward to seeing the partnership develop in the future.”