How to throw out your Christmas tree legally

Epiphany (January 6) is the traditional day for throwing out the Christmas tree – but there are fines for not doing it properly.

Some people in France throw out the tree on Boxing Day, others keep it until the end of January, but the day of Epiphany, today, is traditional.

However you can be fined €150 for disposing of it in an unsuitable way.

The simplest solution may be to take it to a local déchetterie (tip) where there should be a green waste container you can put it in. However in theory this is not suitable if it is covered in artificial snow...

Otherwise, many towns organise collection points around town, and sometimes businesses that sell the trees in the first place also put in place collection points for them. Check the website for your mairie or ask them for help.

This year the Marseille area, for example, has organised 100 collection points for the first three weekends of this month.