Oh, how beautifully you needle!
Dispose of the Christmas tree – this is how you do it right
© Elena Elisseeva / Shutterstock
Even the loveliest time of the year comes to an end and then we have to dispose of our Christmas tree. But how do we get rid of the Christmas tree? What is allowed and what is not?
Disposing of the Christmas tree: When is the time?
The presents are unwrapped, the goose is plastered and the relatives are gone again, but How long does the tree stay up?? Well, of course it is entirely up to you how long your Christmas tree stays in the living room. Still, there are a few traditionsto hold on to.
For most (Catholic) people, the deadline is the 6th January: The Christmas season officially ends on the feast day of the Three Kings, when the tree is decorated and comes out of the apartment. According to another tradition, the tree remains until February 2nd standing, that would then be Maria Candlemas.
However, many families part with their tree earlier, sometimes even in the “old year”. Most of the time, the good piece needles so much that it’s annoying, or you’re just fed up with Christmas. Then the only question that remains is: Where to put the tree now?
Disposing of a Christmas tree: When will my tree be picked up?
Disposing of a Christmas tree is actually very easy: we just have to do it at the right time to the street or to one of the collection points bring. Because: In almost all German cities and communities, the local garbage disposal or city cleaning service (in Berlin, for example, the BSR, in Cologne, the AWB) comes and picks up the used Christmas trees.
When in your city the Deadline for Christmas tree collection can be found in the annual waste calendar that is distributed or is available online.
Disposing of the Christmas tree – what do I have to pay attention to?
- Please decorate well: The fir must be ready for disposal completely unadorned be.
- In larger cities there are two or more collection dates for Christmas trees to choose from.
- The Christmas tree only on eve of collection put it on the street! You can also deposit piles of brushwood or fir branches here.
- Attention: In many communities only firs are grown up to 2.50 meters tall picked up.
- If you missed the pick-up time, you can also pick up the tree in many cities compost center bring (regional information is available online).
Can I throw my Christmas tree out the window?
Even if we see it in TV commercials and it seems to be a tradition in Sweden: in this country you are allowed to cut the tree don’t just spontaneously throw it out the window! It goes without saying why: Not only should the tree be placed neatly on the street to be picked up, but throwing it out of the window is fine too dangerous for surrounding cars and, above all, passers-by.
By the way: Even in Sweden, the trees don’t fly out of the window in a high arc. Here the disused fir trees are thrown off the terrace at most once, everything else is just one myth from TV commercials.
May I bring the Christmas tree into the forest?
Even if the idea is obvious: Simply bringing a Christmas tree “back to nature” is not allowed. Fir trees for domestic use are often treated with chemicals that make natural decay more difficult. An “industrial Christmas tree” in the forest has nothing to do with it.
You shouldn’t just throw the tree away wildly in the nearby park or garden either. Both fall under illegal disposal.
Christmas tree in a pot – can I plant it?
If you bought a Christmas tree in a pot, you can give the tree a “second life” after the holidays. However, the tree cannot simply be buried outside in the garden on January 6th. You should wait until the soil before planting frost-free for at least three weeks was. Also, you shouldn’t take the sapling straight out of the living room because a cold shock threatens. It is best to store it in a cool but bright place (e.g. in the stairwell) so that it can get used to it.