The holidays are over, the presents are unwrapped, the Christmas tree decorations have been taken down and the needles have already fallen off. Now the annual question arises: but what to do with the Christmas tree? We present various options for disposing of your fir or spruce in a sustainable way or recycling it sensibly.
Disposal in the organic waste garbage can
In most municipalities and cities, the Christmas tree can simply be disposed of in the organic waste garbage can. For environmentally friendly disposal, it is advisable to completely remove the tree decorations beforehand and to saw the tree into very small pieces. The Christmas trees are then turned into valuable compost. The Christmas decorations can of course be saved and reused until next year.
Collection service or collection points
Many cities offer a Christmas tree collection service after the festive season. This means that the trees can either be collected from your own home or taken to Christmas tree collection points yourself. In Austria, Christmas trees in rural areas are usually left outside the door, collected by the municipality and then processed in the municipal composting plant. In large cities such as Vienna, free disposal is offered at 588 collection points until mid-January. After collection, the trees in Vienna are either processed into compost or used to generate energy, particularly for electricity or district heating. Before disposal, it is important to remove the Christmas decorations from the tree as thoroughly as possible so that no heavy metals or microplastics are released into the environment.
Use for house and garden
Do you have your own garden and would prefer to recycle your Christmas tree yourself? Good idea! With the help of a garden shredder, it is possible to process the tree trunk into bark mulch. You should then store the finished bark mulch in a dry place for a few months before using it for ornamental plant beds. Larger branches from the Christmas tree are ideal as frost protection for sensitive plants in the garden, such as roses. In general, you can also compost the entire shredded tree in your own garden. If you want to make your home even cozier, you can make fresh fir tea or use the needles to make scented oil. If you like crafting, you can use the wood to carve a coat hook, for example.
Use as decoration
Whether as a wall decoration or placed in a beautiful vase – you can still bring the winter atmosphere into your home after the holidays and use parts of the Christmas tree as decoration. Beautiful branches in good condition can also be used as grave decorations.
Animal food donation
If you would like to donate your Christmas tree, a wildlife park, zoo or riding stable is a good place to go. There, your tree can be used as food for horses and other animals. Before you donate the tree, however, you should ask exactly what is needed for the animals. At the Rautenweg landfill in Vienna, for example, the Pinzgau goats are served Christmas trees as a small feast every year.