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LIVING IN FRANCE

How to dispose of your Christmas tree in France

As the festive season draws to a close, here's how to get rid of your Christmas tree and ensure that it is recycled.

Published: 2 January 2024 10:24 CET
How to dispose of your Christmas tree in France
How to get rid of your Christmas tree in France. Photo: AFP

If you had an artificial tree then the answer to this question is easy – stuff it back in its box and put it back in the cupboard.

If, however, you had a real tree, then you have several options for disposal – and of course if you bought a living tree then now is the time to plant it outside.

Where

The exact details vary according to the area, but local authorities across France all provide some kind of recycling and collection service for les sapins (Christmas trees).

In cities this usually involves creating collection points on the streets where you take your tree, and a few days later it will be taken away.

In smaller towns or villages some mairies offer roadside collection where trees left on the kerb on a certain date will be collected, while others create a collection point (usually alongside existing recycling facilities such as a bottle bank).

The easiest way to find exact details, is to head to the website for your mairie and search ‘Où déposer mon sapin après Noël ?’

For example, if you’re in Paris, you can find an interactive map of Christmas tree collection points here.

When

Again, exact dates vary according to area, but most areas start the service just after Christmas and continue well into January.

Although the traditional day to take down Christmas decorations is January 6th (Epiphany), most Christmas tree collection points stay open until late January.

If you miss the collection, you can chop up your Christmas tree and put it into the garden waste collection, or take it to the local déchetterie (recycling centre or tip) and dispose of it with garden waste – make sure all decoration are stripped of first.

Dechetterie: What to know about visiting the recycling centre

What happens to them?

Local authorities recycle the trees in various ways – some burn them as biofuel but the most common use is chipping them and using the wood chips in the municipal parks and gardens.

This not only reuses the trees and saves the mairie money, but it has the added benefits of making the parks smell lovely.

Unfortunately, however, France does not follow the tradition in Vienna, where Christmas trees are chopped up and served to the elephants in the zoo as a seasonal treat.

Cake

And if taking down the Christmas tree all seems quite sad then don’t worry – France has one final festive treat in store. January 6th marks the Christian festival of epiphany, which means Galette des rois cakes, cider (or Champagne) and the ritual of the fève.

Galette des rois: What you need to know about France’s royal tart

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PROPERTY

BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you want to grill some ribs, install heavy plants or even hang up your laundry to dry on your balcony in France, then there is one document you'll want to consult beforehand.

Published: 7 May 2024 10:43 CEST
Updated: 11 May 2024 08:15 CEST
BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you live in an apartment building in France, then you might be curious whether there are any rules regulating what you are allowed and not allowed to do on your French balcony.

The answer is relatively simple: it depends on your copropriété. In France, a copropriété is a type of building that is split up into several different apartments that are individually owned. It is also the name of the individuals who together make up the co-owners of that shared building, similar to a ‘homeowner’s association’.

READ MORE: PROPERTY: What you need to know about ‘copropriété’ fees in France

Most of the time your building will also hire a syndic, or managing agents for the building.

Every copropriété should have a règlement de copropriété, which is a written document outlining all of the operating rules of the building, as well as the rights and olbigations of the ‘co-owners’ and tenants.

This document governs the common areas of the building and the fees that go into the building’s maintenance (les charges), but it can also regulate the use of private areas under certain circumstances. For example, the règlement might have its own rules about the hours that you can do noisy renovation work, or a list of colours allowed for the shutters on your exterior windows.

So can I barbecue on my balcony?

As you may have guessed from above, the règlement de copropriété may outline the rules for balcony or terrace usage.

This means that the document can dictate anything from whether or not you can hang laundry outside to the weight of plants allowed and the rules on barbecues.

The gist is that the regulations governing balconies and what you can do on them vary widely from one apartment building to another.

Some apartment buildings allow for people to use small electric grills for barbecues, while others might ban grilling and barbecuing altogether.

When asking about your balcony, be sure to find out whether any parts of it are considered ‘shared space’.

Under some circumstances, the règlement may deem balcony railings to be part of the shared space, which would have consequences for the minimum amount of maintenance required by the owner. Though, this would be most likely to occur if the upkeep of your balcony’s railing has a direct impact on the structure of the building or other apartments.

Similarly, the document might consider the actual concrete slab of the balcony to be the responsibility of the copropriété for maintenance and upkeep. In this case, if you had a crack in your balcony then the repair costs would fall on the copropriété and not you individually.

How do I find out about the règlement for my building?

If you have a gardien (doorman) you can start by asking him/her. They would likely have a copy on-hand, or they might just know the answer to your question.

Otherwise, you can reach out to the building’s syndic, or you can even request a copy of the document from the land registration service. The latter option will cost €30, and you would need to file a formal request (you can find the form here).

How are these rules decided?

The règlement for the copropriété is voted on in a general meeting of co-owners, and it can be changed.

To do this, you would need to gather the ‘general assembly’ of co-owners in the building. Then you would need to vote. Depending on the nature of the change, French law can require that the co-owners in the building reach a simple majority (most owners present vote yes) or an absolute majority (out of all owners, including those not present, the majority vote yes).

You can find the voting rules on this government website.

In general, the items outlined in the règlement will be justified somehow. For example, the rules related to furniture and plant height/weight might have to do with concerns about safety and ensuring that the concrete slab of the balcony holds up.

But that does not mean that ‘aesthetic’ concerns are irrelevant – your copropriété might consider something like hanging laundry to dry from your balcony to be an ‘aesthetic harm’ (or hygienic concern) for your building.

The standard for all French copropriétés is that anything that changes the exterior appearance of the building is not allowed, and in order to do so, you must get special permission.

READ MORE: The rules for installing air conditioning in your French home

What about local laws and rules?

In certain situations, there might be additional local laws and rules that regulate activities you might want to do on your balcony.

For example, when it comes to BBQs, some areas – especially if there is a drought – will ban or restrict them to avoid the danger of starting wildfires.

Certain legal clauses might restrict charcoal BBQs and allow gas ones, while others could restrict barbecuing to certain times. Check with your local mairie to see if there are restrictions where you live.

READ MORE: What are the rules of having a BBQ in France?

Departmental health regulations may also contain rules that would apply to balconies and terraces.

For example, in Paris the health regulations prohibit the storing of flammable liquids, seeds, bread crumbs or food of any kind on windows, balconies and outside parts of buildings.

It also stipulates that anything hanging from a balcony or window should be done so in a safe manner so that it does not create a dangerous environment for passers-by or other building occupants.

Overall, you can do what you want with and on your balcony, as long as you comply with the copropriété rules and existing local or departmental health/safety regulations, you do not alter the external appearance of the building or carry out any large-scale, structural work that you’d need a permit for, and as long as whatever you do/install on your balcony does not create a safety risk.

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