“Second life” for Christmas trees in Vienna: collection points open on 27.12.

Spread the love

Read Time:2 Minute, 0 Second

The trees collected by the 48ers at the Christmas tree collection points are used by Wien Energie at the Pfaffenau waste incineration plant in Simmering to generate electricity and district heating.

A Christmas tree provides light and warmth—ideally twice at Christmas and after Christmas. First, it provides warmth in the heart and sparkle in the living room, and second,” it provides light and warmth in the home.

583 Christmas tree collection points open until 14 January
From December 27, 2023, up to and including January 14, 2024, the 583 Christmas tree collection points will be available to all Viennese free of charge. Christmas trees can also be handed in at one of Vienna’s 13 waste collection points all year round. Important: in the interests of waste avoidance and reuse, please remove Christmas tree decorations in advance.

Christmas trees become electricity, and district heating
Last year, over 140,000 trees with a total weight of almost 750 tons found their way to Pfaffenau, one of Europe’s most modern waste incineration plants, via Vienna’s Christmas tree collection points. Together with the household waste, the Christmas trees are thermally recycled there and thus given an additional use: Wien Energie uses the energy generated during incineration to produce electricity and heat. This energy is climate-neutral and is sufficient to supply around 1,300 households with electricity and around 2,500 households with district heating for a month.

The Pfaffenau waste incineration plant is one of the most modern plants in Europe. Up to 100 refuse collection vehicles from the 48 empty their contents into the waste bunker twice daily. Every hour, 32 tons of residual waste are incinerated at a temperature of at least 850 degrees. A total of around 250,000 tons of residual waste is recycled here every year. Wien Energie uses the energy generated to supply around 25,000 households with clean electricity and around 50,000 households with environmentally friendly district heating.

Where is the nearest Christmas tree collection point?
All information about the Christmas tree collection points will be available from December 27 on the City of Vienna’s online city map at (https://www.wien.gv.at/stadtplan/) and in the 48er app (https://www.wien.gv.at/umwelt/ma48/beratung/app.html). Further questions can be answered by calling the waste hotline on 01 – 546 48.