A Real or Fake Christmas Tree: Which is Greener?

Hey Mr. Green,

Have you reached a conclusion on the real tree vs. artificial Christmas tree debate?

--Kathy in Winston Salem, North Carolina

I have indeed. The real tree is better for the environment than the fake tree. A real tree is a renewable resource, whereas a fake tree is usually made from plastic, which is derived from oil, a nonrenewable resource. The real tree can be recycled as mulch, compost, or wildlife shelter, whereas the fake tree can’t. The real tree does not contain harmful chemicals, whereas fake trees are often made with plastic polyvinyl chloride, whose manufacture releases highly toxic material. Plus, lead may have been added to stabilize the plastic. The real tree also absorbs carbon dioxide while it grows, doing its bit to fight global warming.
 
The belief that using real trees causes deforestation is mistaken. The fact is, real trees are farmed, often on marginal land that can't be used for other purposes.
 
I see only two disadvantages to real trees: First, since they have to be shipped from a tree farm each year, real trees require a lot more shipping energy than the one-time shipment of a fake tree that will be used for an average of nine years before being dispatched to the landfill. Though about 85 percent of fake trees are made in China, and thus shipped farther than real trees, they require considerably less energy to ship.

The other problem with real trees is that many farmers use pesticides on them. It’s doubtful, though, that these cause more environmental problems than the petrochemical stew from which fake trees are confected.
Both of these problems can be ameliorated by either buying a tree from a source as local as possible or by buying an organic tree. Find trees closest to home at www.christmastree.org.

There is a third option: a live tree, which you keep in a pot and bring forth with glad tidings to decorate each holiday season. This would seem to be the best choice of all. But don't get a live tree unless: a) you’re absolutely sure it’s a species well-adapted to your climate, and b) you are plant-savvy and dedicated enough to take proper care of it. In my long years of horticultural observation, I've encountered more dead live trees than living live trees.

A final point: I'm for buying the tree as late as possible. This is because, first of all, dealers tend to lower the prices to unload them late in the game, which has great appeal to people as cheap as me. Also, because the frenzied consumerist buildup to the holidays gives me the willies, early tree-purchasing seems more like a celebration of shopping than of anything cosmic or miraculous.

Comments

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Excellent article! Since I am trying to promote green living a lot in my business, many friends ask me about my preferring green Christmas trees. But whats the difference between let's say corn and Christmas tree? You plant it, you grow it, you harvest it. Yes, corn grows maybe for half a year, Christmas tree maybe for 5-7, but where is the real difference??
Take care
Julie

[toronto real estate]

Excellent article! Since I am trying to promote green living a lot in my business, many friends ask me about my preferring green Christmas trees. But whats the difference between let's say corn and Christmas tree? You plant it, you grow it, you harvest it. Yes, corn grows maybe for half a year, Christmas tree maybe for 5-7, but where is the real difference??
Take care
Julie

[toronto real estate]

Excellent article! Since I am trying to promote green living a lot in my business, many friends ask me about my preferring green Christmas trees. But whats the difference between let's say corn and Christmas tree? You plant it, you grow it, you harvest it. Yes, corn grows maybe for half a year, Christmas tree maybe for 5-7, but where is the real difference??
Take care
Julie

[toronto real estate]

Excellent article! Since I am trying to promote green living a lot in my business, many friends ask me about my preferring green Christmas trees. But whats the difference between let's say corn and Christmas tree? You plant it, you grow it, you harvest it. Yes, corn grows maybe for half a year, Christmas tree maybe for 5-7, but where is the real difference??
Take care
Julie

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Whooops! I am sorry for multiple comments, it wasnt my intention!

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Real Christmas trees have other advantages that make them a better choice than fake trees. Christmas tree farms do indeed use mostly marginal land, and on those acres that are taken out of annual or semi-annual crops, there is a a real boost to soil conservation because Christmas tree fields are only plowed every eight to ten years. More info at http://www.santasons.com/christmas-tree-environment.htm Real Christmas trees are a remarkably labor intensive crop and they are almost exclusively grown here in the US, creating a lot of stable jobs in rural parts of the country. Oregon is the leading producer of real Christmas trees and unemployment remains very high here, well over 10%, so the Christmas tree jobs are a valuable source of employment in rural areas.

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Of course you could REUSE an artificial tree from Freecycle OR buy and decorate a live fruit tree - plant it in your garden or a community garden so that the fruit will benefit people in coming years. A REAL green 'gift'. We have done both of these and find that while we don't have a 'real' pine tree, we do get a warm fuzzy feeling from planting a fruit tree!

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It means real tree is better than fake christmas tree, is it right? Actually I prefer to choose real tree because it has a characteristic fragrant that make me happy.

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