Just yesterday, she stood, smartly decorated, shimmered with brilliant multi-colored garlands and exuded a magical coniferous aroma. But now the Christmas holidays are over. It’s time to take off the holiday decorations and put them in boxes, and dismantle the tarnished beautiful Christmas tree. According to the estimates of the Federal Association of Christmas Tree Manufacturers (BVWE), every year after the New Year holidays, Germans take out about 27 million Christmas trees from their homes and apartments. And what happens to the used trees after that?
Tree pickup on schedule
In Germany, the disposal of Christmas trees is a well-established process. At the end of the year, residents of each locality receive by mail special calendars for the next year, which indicate the dates for the removal of various types of garbage. Such a schedule is sent free of charge by municipalities or waste processing companies. You can also get to know him on the Internet.
The regulations also provide for separate days for collecting used Christmas trees. As a rule, they stand out in mid-January, when the New Year holidays are over. But each neighborhood usually has its own schedule. In any case, the day before, you just need to take the Christmas tree completely freed from decorations outside and leave it at the dumpster, where special transport will arrive in the morning to pick it up. This service is free.
If you do not have time to set up the Christmas tree on time, then you will have to take it to the reception point yourself. However, you can chop the wood and throw it into a bio-waste container, which is found in many yards in Germany. It is strictly forbidden to take old Christmas trees to a landfill or throw them in the forest in Germany, as they decompose slowly and poorly, emitting greenhouse gases in the process. Violators of this regulation face fines. Its size varies from federal state to federal state. In Baden-Württemberg, for example, it ranges from 25 to 50 euros for the improper disposal of one Christmas tree, and in Hamburg – 100 euros for one illegally discarded Christmas tree.
How to use used Christmas trees
In Germany, there are several ways to dispose of old Christmas trees. Old Christmas trees are crushed in special crushing machines, ground into sawdust and compost is made from them, which is then used in gardens and parks, as well as on farms. Branches cut from spruce are often used as covering material for garden beds. They will protect plants from the cold, effectively maintain soil moisture, and prevent the growth of weeds. Such a “veil” is also useful in that it actively releases phytoncides, which do not allow bacteria, fungi, or insect pests to roam.
The wood of the used fir trees is used for the production of clothes hangers, sledges, children’s toys, souvenirs, furniture, as well as wooden knives for cutting butter. And sawdust and needles are often used to make pressed briquettes for furnaces.
At present, practical and nature-loving Germans prefer this environmentally friendly fuel to heat their homes. In addition, due to low humidity and high density, the combustion temperature of fuel briquettes is one and a half to two times higher than that of ordinary firewood. One pallet with a capacity of one ton of sawdust briquettes in Germany costs from 300 euros to 700 euros, depending on the quality and market situation.
Discarded trees are also burned at thermal power plants. For example, every year in Berlin alone, 350,000 Christmas trees are harvested, the burning of which generates enough energy to provide heat and electricity to 500 households all year round.
Animal treat
And the Germans also feed Christmas trees to animals – both those that live in forests and pets of zoos. Although in this case we are not talking about dry fir trees that have stood up for the holidays, but about fresh ones that came directly from the farmer or from the store – from among those that could not be sold for the holidays. In addition, plants are previously subjected to phytosanitary control – to prevent the introduction of dangerous diseases and parasites, as well as for the presence of pesticides. Usually this is done by employees of sanitary and epidemiological stations. On the eve of the New Year holidays, the Cologne Zoo, for example, feeds animals from 50 to 100 Christmas trees, the Stuttgart Zoo – up to 150.
Needles, rich in vitamins, microelements, essential oils, are equally adored by wild boars with goats living in German forests, and representatives of exotic fauna living in German zoos – elephants, camels, llamas. For them, this is the most exquisite delicacy, and for zoos – an opportunity to diversify the diet of pets.
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