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SWITZERLAND EXPLAINED

EXPLAINED: How to properly dispose of a Christmas tree in Switzerland

As we wrap up the Christmas period, you may be wondering how to dispose of your Christmas tree in Switzerland without getting stuck with a fine. Here’s how.

Published: 27 December 2023 16:04 CET
EXPLAINED: How to properly dispose of a Christmas tree in Switzerland
There are many ways to dispose of a Christmas tree in Switzerland. Photo by Simon Berger from Pexels.

Come January, you may be looking to dispose of your Christmas tree. In Switzerland, there are many ways to dispose of a tree and many cities or municipalities will do tree collections – just remember to remove the decorations.

Can I dispose of my tree in a nearby forest?

While this may seem like the most logical solution at first glance because, well, trees make a forest – it is not a viable option in Switzerland.

Once an – often chemically treated – Christmas tree is sold and displayed in your home, it is considered trash and that doesn’t belong in a forest where it would wither and take a long time to be completely broken down.

Is it okay to burn my tree?

Though the burning of Christmas trees is a cherished tradition for many a Swiss person, the practice – which can be harmful for the environment – is prohibited in several cantons and may even result in criminal charges.

The reason? Christmas trees are often not dry enough to be burned outside and could lead to heavy smoke.

So how then can you dispose of it?

READ MORE: What are Switzerland’s rules for waste disposal and recycling?

Green waste collection

Arguably the easiest way to dispose of your Christmas tree is to use your city or municipality’s green waste collection service.

Disposal is often free of charge, though this may depend on the canton and/or city/municipality that you reside in. Green waste collection days will also differ from region to region and may come with different conditions.

Some regions may require you to tie up your tree or bag it, while others will pick your tree up loose. Yet other may have a tree maximum height requirement of 1.50 or 2 metres.

Green bin

Wherever you may be, however, make sure to strip your Christmas tree of its decorations and check your municipality’s website (disposal calendar) prior to chucking out your tree.

You can, of course, also chop up your Christmas tree and place its branches into the normal green bin for collection.

Compost it

If you happen to have a compost heap and the necessary equipment, you can also chop up your tree and compost it.

Household waste

You can also dispose of your tree with your regular household waste in some regions, though given the hefty price tag of garbage bags in Switzerland, this may be the costliest disposal method.

Bear in mind that with any given process, it is best to consult your municipality’s website for the correct (and legal) disposal method to ensure you are not fined or worse.

READ MORE: Six offences you can be fined for in Switzerland’s great outdoors

Recycling

You may also want to preserve some of your Christmas tree in the spirit of sustainability and the good news is, you can.

If you happen to grow flowers or other plants in your garden and want to shield them from the cold, you can do this by using the tree’s branches to protect your garden.

Toss your tree – literally – in the canton of Aargau

If you’re looking to throw away your Christmas tree the fun way, head to Mülligen on January 7th for a Christmas tree toss competition.

And for the coming year…

Drop off the tree at a zoo or animal park

Though it may be too late this year, getting in touch with a zoo or animal park that may like to take in your tree post-Christmas is a great way of making the most of the festive spirit. While some animals enjoy the trees as a snack, others use the branches for entertainment.

Keep in mind that only fresh trees can be donated, so make sure to contact your local zoo or animal park well in advance next year.

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PROTESTS

How free are people to protest in Switzerland?

As a centre of international diplomacy and cooperation and with its unique system of direct democracy, Switzerland enjoys a reputation for upholding fundamental human rights—but how free are the Swiss to express their opposition to power?

Published: 24 April 2024 15:25 CEST
How free are people to protest in Switzerland?

In its recently released 2024 report, Amnesty International criticised Switzerland for imposing restrictions on the right to protest and for dispersing protests violently. 

So what’s the problem? 

While not an explicit ban on protest, Amnesty International considers the obligation in some Swiss cantons for protest organisers to gain official approval and shoulder potential costs to be a repressive measure—essentially a ‘workaround’ in cooling dissent.

Amnesty International’s criticism comes on the heels of other concerns.   

In 2024, Amnesty International joined with the United Nations in criticizing moves by some Swiss cantons and cities to ban protests regarding the Middle East conflict as ‘disproportionate’. 

Read More: How ordinary citizens can try to change the law in Switzerland

The organization has also highlighted the continued use of rubber bullets by Swiss police in dispersing protests as a serious area of concern. 

Furthermore, any changes to protests are controlled or permitted in Switzerland must be made through individual cantons due to the country’s devolution of specific powers – a process that could take years. 

So what restrictions have been introduced in Switzerland?

In early March, the ‘Anti-Chaoten’ initiative put forward by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) youth wing, which would have placed significant legal and financial burdens on protesters, was rejected in a Zurich cantonal referendum. However, a counterproposal by cantonal authorities was accepted at the polls.

The successful counterproposal requires explicit permission from authorities to hold a protest or rally, as well as passing on the cost of the police operation, as well as any intentional damage, to protest organizers. Failure to gain approval for protests can result in charges being laid. 

Following the success of the Zurich measure, the Basel SVP intends to introduce a similar proposal to be voted on in August – with the same likely result.

Which protests have been dispersed violently in Switzerland? 

Due to global events, protests have become increasingly common in Switzerland over the last five years. Most have been peaceful, but there have been exceptions.

Measures introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus between 2020 and 2022 led to violent protests being dispersed in Bern, Zurich and Lucerne. 

Read More: Switzerland to impose tougher penalties for violent protesters

Climate change protests have also been violently dispersed by police, using pepper spray and rubber bullets – such as in Basel in February 2023.

Amnesty International has also raised serious concerns regarding the police dispersal of an International Women’s Day protest in Basel on March 17th of this year, in which rubber bullets were also used. 

Most recently, opponents of the Eritrean regime were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons at a demonstration in Gerlafingen, Aargau, on March 31st. 

What right do the Swiss have to protest? 

The right to peaceful protest is enshrined in the Swiss federal constitution—Article 16 provides for freedom of expression, while Article 23 protects the right to free association. 

Indeed, in 2020, the country successfully introduced a resolution to the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for world governments to protect the right to protest and not use the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to curtail freedoms. 

Read More: What foreigners should know about the Swiss constitution

Furthermore, the country is a signatory to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as well as the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which could have some bearing on how protests are dispersed.  

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