What to do with a Christmas tree after the holidays: you don't have to throw it in the trash

The winter holidays are coming to an end, and soon we will all dismantle our Christmas trees. Those who have artificial trees will hide them on the mezzanine or in the pantry, but owners of natural trees will have to take care of their proper disposal.

Environmentalists say that a tree thrown into a landfill will end up under a layer of other garbage and in such anaerobic conditions will release large amounts of methane. And this gas causes an even greater greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. Therefore, natural Christmas trees must be properly disposed of. OBOZ.UA tells you about all the best ways to do it.

Find a recycling center

In large cities of Ukraine, a program for the centralized disposal of Christmas trees has been operating for some time. You bring your tree there and it is, for example, chopped up and turned into useful mulch for city parks and squares. In Kyiv, for example, this is how recycling is done. By the way, there are as many as 44 such points in the capital. You can find the nearest one here.

Turn wood into firewood

Spruce firewood can be used for stoves, fireplaces, and even in certain boilers. If you know where your tree can be used for firewood, take it there. Even better, you can organize with neighbors and friends to bring several trees at once.

Make mulch for the cottage

As the experience of Kyiv shows, spruce wood shredded into sawdust turns into high-quality mulch. It can protect the roots of trees and bushes in the garden and be used in the vegetable garden. Mulched soil retains moisture better and is more protected from weeds. Specifically, spruce mulch protects crops such as potatoes from typical pests.

Give the tree to animals and birds

If there is a zoo, farm, or other place where animals are kept near your home, you can donate a tree there. Part of the plant will be used for food, and part of it can be used to make various items for enclosures - scratching posts for large cats, toys for bears, or even houses for birds. However, even if there is no such park nearby, you can simply saw the tree trunk into small blocks and take them to the nearest park or forest. In such conditions, the tree will decompose better than the whole trunk, and it will also become a shelter for insects, small animals or birds, grow useful moss, etc. Nature will figure out what to do with such a gift.

Turn wood into crafts

Spruce wood can come in handy for those who are engaged in various arts and crafts. For example, you can saw the wood into small fragments and assemble a wall panel from them yourself, make a stand for hot items, carve candlesticks, or create some other decor. If you don't know how to do it yourself, give the wood to children who are learning to make various crafts, or take it to artists who need such material. Give the tree a second life.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you what you can make from tangerine peels from the New Year's table (and not only).

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