How to recycle Christmas trees for free in the UAE

Try these sustainable ways to dispose of your tree

Some UAE residents chop up the tree into smaller pieces after the season is over and use it for camping fires. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Christmas may be over, but in many households, the Christmas Tree is still twinkling on.

If you’ve purchased a real tree this year, whether you’re taking it down immediately or 12 days after Christmas (a popular tradition), it begs the question – what are you going to do with it afterwards?

Well, it need not go in the bin. Here are some ways to get creative when it comes to recycling your tree.

Chop it up

UAE resident Liesje Korff, who got a Nordmann Fir Prima imported from the Netherlands this year, says that in the past her husband has chopped up the tree into smaller pieces, after the season is over. “They are then used on our camping trips,” she says.

Robert Palmer echoes a similar sentiment, saying he's chopped up a Christmas tree in the past. "It was used for a barbecue and camping. There was lots of extra firewood - enough for four families."

Ace Hardware

Of course, we can't all be handy with the axe. To make things easier, many retailers have launched initiatives to help people recycle their trees.

After a resounding success last year, Ace Hardware has brought back its popular “Treecycle” campaign.

Starting from Sunday, People can drop off their real trees - without the decorations, so remember to remove everything - to its stores at Dubai Festival City and Festival Plaza in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, you can head to its Yas Island store.

Ace accepts all Christmas trees, no matter where it's been purchased from. The trees will be recycled into compost, which will be donated to local schools to help them maintain their grounds. There’s no need to be in a rush to take down your tree either, as this initiative is on until January 22.

Waitrose

Waitrose is another retailer that will be helping people dispose of their Christmas trees in a sustainable way again this year. Anyone who has purchased a tree from Waitrose can drop it off at any branch in the UAE. The trees will then be sent to Tadweer Waste Management Centre’s organic waste composting facility where they will be turned into fertiliser for local farms. The initiative is also free, but only applies to those trees purchased from Waitrose.