Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to put away the decorations and dispose of advent wreaths, Christmas trees, pine branches, and the like.

In Basel-Stadt, you can do this very easily. From now until the end of January, simply place your tree, wreaths, and branches outside with your regular trash bags on your normal garbage collection days (between 19:00 on the previous day and 7:00 on the collection day) and they will be removed for free! If your tree is taller than 2 meters, you need to cut it down first; otherwise, it will be left behind.

Smaller communities outside of Basel-Stadt also often collect the trees for free, but often only on one or a few dedicated days, typically in the first two weeks of January. Check your community’s “garbage calendar” for the local date(s).

If you want to be particularly environmentally conscious, you can also bring your tree to one of 10 collection sites in Basel-Stadt between January 2 and January 10, 2025. These trees will be used for production of plant-based charcoal (Pflanzenkohle) in a facility run by the IWB (Basel’s energy company). This charcoal can be used improve the soil, and it helps the climate by binding CO₂ in the soil instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. In exchange for your tree, you will receive 4 liters of the charcoal (you need to activate the charcoal with compost of liquid fertilizer before using it). For a list of the collection sites and their opening hours, see https://www.bs.ch/themen/umwelt-und-bauen/abfall-und-sauberkeit/abfall-abc/weihnachtsbaeume.

You may also consider not disposing of your Christmas tree at all but to cut it down and use it in your garden or balcony:

• Distribute branches on flower beds or planters for protection against the cold.
• Use the dried needles as protection against snails in the spring.
• Have branches processed into compost or shred them into wood chips.
• Use the trunk and branches as firewood.

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