The Christmas trees collected recently will be returned to Bratislava as recycled bookcases

The city, the Waste Collection and Disposal company (OLO), the Municipal Enterprise, BUČINA EKO and IKEA have joined forces in a project to collect this year's Christmas trees. In under two months, Bratislava residents deposited approximately 43,000 trees weighing 237 tonnes into the pens, exceeding last year's figures. The trees were converted into chipboard in terms of material and then made into bookcases. 150 items of these recycled bookcases filled with books from KOLO - Bratislava Re-use Centre will be returned to Bratislava.

Christmas trees have been collected in Bratislava for the last three years and sent for material recovery. Over the previous seasons of the project's existence, approximately 110,000 Christmas trees weighing more than 600 tonnes have been recovered. In the first two seasons they were turned into compost, but this time they are being transformed into bookcases.

This year has been the most successful so far in terms of the volume of trees collected and processed

The collection of trees ran from 4 January to 25 February. During this period, approximately 43,000 trees weighing 237 tonnes were collected in 800 wooden pens located throughout the city.

"In the first few weeks of the collection, we increased the collections, which helped to maximise the number of trees collected and significantly minimise the comments on overfilled or dirty pens. From the end of February to mid-March, de-installation of the wooden pens took place. They were put into hibernation for the season, to be used again in a year's time,“ says Martina Čechová, OLO’s Circular Economy Manager. Bookcases made of said trees will be returned to Bratislava

The City Hall, OLO, Municipal Enterprise, BUČINA EKO company and IKEA will donate 150 bookcases to organisations dedicated to children, seniors and homeless people. "I would like to thank all the residents who used our pens after the holidays and gave their Christmas tree a second chance. We collected a huge number of them and, thanks to our partners, we are turning them into bookcases. Filled with KOLO's books, we will distribute them to various civic associations and non-profit organizations over the spring months, which gives the whole project a new dimension," says Mayor Vallo.

"Making a new piece of furniture, the BILLY bookcase, out of a Christmas tree is a unique idea. Thanks to the dedication of the people in the participating city organisations, IKEA and IKEA Industry, this idea has been spread throughout the city. This purposeful cooperation supports our vision of a circular society, and we are very happy about it," says Lucia Klečková, CEO of IKEA Bratislava.

**Bratislava runs several circular projects with waste as a source **

The City Hall, in association with OLO, implements several diversified projects that lead Bratislava towards circularity. Trees are turned into bookcases, leftovers into electricity, biogas and valuable biocarbon substrate. The Waste-to-Energy Plant (ZEVO) is in the finalisation phase of the KVET project (Combined Heat and Power) - connection to the MH district heating holding. This step will enable energy derived from waste to be converted into heat for some of Bratislava’s households.