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Plastics are both low-cost and almost arbitrarily longlasting materials also used for numerous products in forest management. However, plastic products constitute a significant share of solid waste and show a varying persistence in the environment. Although the use of plastics in terrestrian and marine environments is already widely discussed, a comprehensive and critical appraisal of treeshelters and treeguards has not yet been conducted. This is all the more surprising as they are the most important applications of plastic products in German forestry. When considering the strict specifications of close-to-nature and sustainable forest management in Germany, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of treeshelter and treeguard use taking into account environmental as well as forestry legislation. This study assesses plastic product use in forests based on federal legislation and for two selected states, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. We analysed a) which environmental laws and norms are applicable to treeshelters at the end of their life span of, b) which are the resulting consequences for their use in forestry practice, and c) which solutions exist for further use of commercially available treeshelters and innovative new treeshelters. Five groups of tree shelters have been assessed: A/made of plastic with a long life span, B/oxodegradable plastic, each without certification on degradation, C/compostable plastics certified by DIN ENnorms, D/wood, paper or jute without information on impregnation treatment as well as E/treeshelters without any information on the material used nor certification. The assessment takes into account federal legislation, particularly the circular economy act, the soil protection act and the bio-waste ordinance. The study comes to the conclusion that leaving any type of treeshelters in the forests after they have fulfilled their protective purpose, doesn't conform with the laws in force. Particularly, the circular economy act requires treeshelters from group A, B, D and E to be removed. Only treeshelters from group C can potentially be left at the site of installation, if they are reduced to small pieces which in turn are mixed with topsoil. However, even for such a practice a specific permit needs to be granted from the authority responsible for circular economy in consent with the forest authority. The current practice of leaving treeshelters on site or just hesitant removal and restrained disposal after having fulfilled their purpose clearly contradicts legal provisions in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]