The year did not start well for Brabant forest ranger Wim de Jong. During his routine patrol in the nature reserve between Goirle and Riel, he encountered around one hundred dumped Christmas trees.
Some were still adorned with decorations along the forest path. De Jong described the act as “antisocial” for leaving others with the mess.
The trees still had plastic pots, light strings, and other decorations attached, which must be removed, making it “a lot of work,” he stated to Omroep Brabant. He also mentioned that the cleanup is a waste of taxpayers’ money, as “ultimately, we all pay for the disposal costs, while the perpetrator incurs no expenses.” Omroep Brabant accompanied the ranger to view the massive tree dumping.
Nearby, several filled garbage bags were also found. The ranger regularly discovers dumped sofas and paint cans in the area, making such dumping not a new occurrence, especially on secluded paths near the main road.
However, a dumping of this scale is rare, he added. “We seem to increasingly find it normal to dump waste on others.” The organization Brabants Landschap clarified that leaving a Christmas tree in the forest is not harmless, as it takes about ten years for a pine tree to decompose.
Unlike other fallen trees in the forest, a pine tree is not made of hardwood and cannot host insects. “Moreover, the question isn’t whether it is harmful: you simply should not dump waste,” a spokesperson stated.
Source: NOS