O Christmas tree

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And now that it’s over, you find yourself wondering what to do with your Christmas tree?

Should you bring it to the landfill? Leave it by the side of the road? Keep it as a cat toy?

The BIOREGIO project found another, more sustainable idea: turn it into biofuel!

The pilot action

In January 2019 in the region of Central Macedonia, the Regional Association of Solid Waste Management Agencies and the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy launched a pilot action to turn Christmas trees into woodchips. The woodchips could then be used as pellets, as biofuel and in chipboard manufacturing.

They asked their citizens to drop off the trees at key disposal points and provided assistance to those who did not have a way to do this for themselves.

The result

A total of 3 tones – or about 2,800 Christmas trees – were shredded and reused that year. That is a lot of raw materials that did not end up in the landfill.

This second year should see even more Christmas trees make their way into the wood chipper!

Get more details on this good practice or explore other Christmas themed good practices.

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