As beautiful as the Christmas season was, disposing of the Christmas tree is just as annoying. Many cities and municipalities accommodate their fellow citizens so that they do not have to carelessly throw the old tree into nature. The disposal options are varied and mostly free of charge.
How can I dispose of my Christmas tree correctly?
Christmas trees can be disposed of free of charge in many cities from June 6th. January 2020 can be left on the side of the road or at public collection points. Alternatively, decorated Christmas trees can be dropped off at recycling centers, composting plants or green waste collection points.
When the Christmas tree ends up in the trash
Since IKEA's advertising about disposing of the Christmas tree, many people have fallen for the temptation to simply throw their dried-out Christmas tree out the window. However, you should avoid what the advertising exaggerates. Such actions pollute the streets and mean a lot of work for the cleaning services.
When should I dispose of it?
The Christmas tree will be picked up in Germany after January 6th
While in Sweden, Norway and Finland the Christmas tree is traditionally left up until St. Knut's Day, the Germans dispose of their Christmas tree after Epiphany on January 6th at the latest. The tree is rarely left standing until Candlemas on February 2nd.
Information coming soon:
- Garbage collection usually offers collection dates after January 6th
- Christmas trees are placed in designated places in front of the house
- Pickup is usually free
Excursus
IKEA and St Knuts Day
This day is named after the King of Denmark: Canute IV the Saint. In Swedish it is also called “tjugondedag jul”, which means the 20th day after Christmas. This day falls on January 13th and ends on a high note for children, as they are allowed to plunder the remaining sweets from the tree. Candles and decorations are then removed so that the tree can be disposed of. IKEA used St. Knut's Day as an opportunity for an advertising campaign and now celebrates the festival "Knut" every year.
Missed an appointment?
If you have missed the collection date, there are alternatives for disposing of your Christmas tree. You can either take the tree to a public collection point in the municipality or city, or chop it up and put it in the organic waste bin. Whether disposal with household waste is permitted depends on the respective municipality.
Christmas trees are accepted here:
- recycling center
- Compost plant
- designated collection points
- Green waste collection points
Give to zoos and animal parks
Zoos sometimes feed Christmas trees to their animals
Some zoos and animal enclosures accept dried trees to feed the needles to animals. Donkeys and goats are among the main recyclers of old fir trees. They eat the needles and like to nibble on the branches. For other animals, the logs offer ideal activity or a creative way to provide food. Christmas trees are often decorated with oranges, apple pieces or other food balls and presented to the animals.
However, only red and silver fir are accepted, as other conifers have ingredients that are difficult to digest. Find out in advance whether there is a need at the respective contact point. Zoos often receive unsold Christmas trees from dealers and are already oversupplied.
Fir needles have a lot of vitamin C, which is good for the zoo animals in winter.
Alternative use of old Christmas trees
When the Christmas tree has had its day, you can give it a second life. Wild animals, beetles and insects enjoy a shelter in the garden that offers them protection from the cold and predators. You can also use the dried material for decoration purposes.
video: Youtube
Grave Decoration
If the tree still has relatively fresh branches, you can cut them off and use them as winter grave decorations. Place the pine branches on the grave and decorate it with Christmas roses in flower pots and pine cones you have collected yourself. The branches not only serve aesthetic purposes, but also protect the soil and the plants that overwinter in it from frost.
Offering animals a habitat
Delimb the Christmas tree and chop up the trunk. Pile the material into a pile in unused areas of the garden. Dig a hollow at this point and mix the excavated material with gravel. Fill the pit with the material to create additional retreat options.
When stacking, make sure that hedgehogs, squirrels or shrews can crawl into the shelter through suitable openings. The brushwood pile decomposes over time, so it should be replaced before each winter.
How to properly dispose of Christmas trees
The Christmas tree must be completely decorated before disposal. If you put the tree on the street along with the Christmas decorations or leftover tinsel and glitter spray, it will usually not be removed. In order for composting plants to be able to use the material, no artificial substances may be present:
- Tinsel: hazardous waste, some of which contains lead, which is hazardous to the environment
- Artificial snow: contains carcinogenic chemicals and solvents
- Glitter spray: often with gold or silver-based pigments that contain heavy metals
- Glass balls: are silver-plated on the inside with a silver nitrate solution
Incorrect disposal
Disposing of the Christmas tree in the forest, in a field or in other remote places is not an option. Trunks, branches and needles decompose slowly, so a tree that is left lying around represents waste. In many municipalities and cities, this carelessness results in a fine.
Disposing of an artificial Christmas tree
The advantage of artificial Christmas trees is that they can be used for many years. However, if they have lost their beauty or are damaged, you can dispose of the material using the bulky waste collection service. Recycling centers also accept the plastic.
Tip
Artificial Christmas trees always stay fresh. With a few tests you can put the longevity of real trees to the test. If the needles bend, they will soon be shed. These must not fall off in the opposite direction to the growth when they are stripped off. If the trunk interface appears white and resinous, the tree is still fresh.
Where can I dispose of my Christmas tree?
Recycling centers accept decorated Christmas trees at any time
Recycling centers can be found in all cities and municipalities that accept decorated Christmas trees during their opening hours. In large cities there is often an additional collection service so that the trees do not pile up on the streets. You can see in the table below who to contact if you have questions about disposal and how to dispose of your Christmas tree.
| Dispose of Christmas tree in | Contact person | How to dispose of? | Time | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | City cleaning | Curbside storage | usually between January 6th and 18th | free |
| Munich | Waste management company (AWM) | Hand over to collection points in schools | usually between January 7th and 9th | free |
| Hamburg | City cleaning | Put trees smaller than 2.5 m on the side of the road | second to third calendar week | free |
| Dresden | Office for Urban Greenery and Waste Management | Delivery at temporary collection points | usually between December 30th and January 13th | free |
| Lepzig | City cleaning | Disposal at public collection points | End of December to end of January | free |
| Bielefeld | Environmental operations (UWB) | Hand over to collection points in schoolyards and public places | usually between January 4th and 7th | free |
| Cologne | Waste management companies (AWB) | Place trees smaller than 2 m next to the residual waste or organic waste bin on collection day | from January 2nd | free |
| Nuremberg | Waste management company (ASN) | Hand over to public collection points | from January 7th | free |
| Frankfurt | Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH (FES) | Pickup of one meter long pieces by special vehicles | between January 8th and 28th | free |
| Stuttgart | Waste Management (AWS) | Hand over to central collection points | mostly until January 6th | free |
Tip
If you missed all the dates, simply make wood from your tree for the next Easter fire. You can store the material on the balcony or in the basement.
Frequently asked questions
How can I dispose of my Christmas tree without needles?
A dry Christmas tree usually needs a lot
If you want to get your Christmas tree out of your apartment without leaving any needles behind, you should pack it up beforehand. For small trees, it works if you roll up a sturdy garbage bag completely and place it under the trunk. You can then unroll the bag upwards so that the pine branches bend in. Larger specimens can be wrapped in a similar manner with cling film. Since this creates a lot of waste, you should prevent the tree from drying out right from the start:
- Store in a cool room at ten degrees before setting up
- Re-saw the interface to improve water absorption
- place in a planter filled with water
- don't place it too close to the heater
- Spray branches and needles with water daily
Are there sustainable alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree to avoid waste?
The concept of rental trees is becoming increasingly popular. The Düsseldorf-based company Happy Tree offers fir trees for rent in some cities. You will receive the goods potted and can set up and decorate the tree in the living room.
In the new year, the tree and its pot will be picked up again and then planted or continued to be cared for in the pot. You can reserve a tree until the fourth year in a row. Many hardware stores now also offer planted fir trees that can be planted out in the garden after the Christmas holidays.
How much does it cost to dispose of a Christmas tree?
While drop-off at public collection points or collection by private cleaning services is free, some green waste collection points or composting plants charge a small fee. Please ask the relevant office beforehand, as the costs vary depending on the location.