Plastic spoons used to make Christmas tree

A Christmas tree which was lit up in Taiwan's central city of Taichung evening has brought an environmental message to the Christmas period.

The 12 metre tree is made of 80,000 plastic spoons and is destined to be recycled at the end of the festive season.

The Christmas tree was designed by a team of six students from Transworld University in the Yunlin County, who won a competition for the best Christmas tree made from recycled materials which the Taichung local authority had set up.

Local branches of fast-food chain KFC sponsored provision of the plastic spoons.

Taichung mayor Jason Hu said the Christmas tree served to encourage people who saw it to live in an environmentally-friendly way.

"Christmas must be celebrated in an eco-friendly way, and it is the same when we choose clothing or when we take a shower. An eco-friendly Christmas tree is a sign of an improved society, and a symbol of creativity," he said.