Going Green at Christmas: What Is Greener, A Real or Fake Christmas Tree?
This year about 30 million real Christmas trees will be sold in the USA alone.
I have incredible memories of Christmases in the past with a real tree, freshly cut, decorated to the max, taking center stage in the living room.
For many years it was difficult to imagine Christmas without a real tree in the house, emanating that wonderful Christmas tree smell which is part of the whole Christmas experience.
But nowadays, artificial Christmas trees are available that are incredibly realistic looking.
Some of these fake trees are so life-like that I have a difficult time telling that they are in fact artificial from across the room.
Indeed, the fake trees actually look better than real trees because they have a completely balanced and proportional shape, unlike real trees, which always have certain visual deficiencies.
Since I am also making efforts to reduce waste, recycle, and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, this begs the question: What is greener, a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree? For the real tree, considerable efforts are made to raise the trees sustainably.
Farms have been established that are dedicated to growing various types of evergreen trees used at Christmas, and they make sure to have replanting programs in place so that there are always new trees being grown to replace those that are harvested each year.
Still, growing these trees requires some pesticides, and fuel is required each year to cut them and transport them to towns across America.
When Christmas is over, the trees must be disposed of.
Some municipalities have Christmas tree recycling programs that keep the trees out of landfills, but not all.
Many trees do go to landfills, and some are burned, creating carbon dioxide emissions.
And don't forget that real Christmas trees are highly flammable, posing some fire risk.
For artificial trees, the negative is that most are produced largely from petroleum-derived materials.
Polyvinyl chloride is a commonly-used plastic, and some fake trees even contain lead, although these can be avoided fairly easily by careful shopping.
On the positive side, an artificial tree will last for many years.
No annual trips to pick out a new tree are required, saving fuel and time.
Over 10-20 years, this can add up to an amount that outweighs the petroleum-based input into manufacturing.
A fake tree is also a significant money saver if it is reused for a number of years.
The set up of the artificial trees is also easier than a real tree.
The strings of lights can stay on the trees while it is stored, saving time each year when the tree is brought out and decorated.
On balance, there is not a strongly compelling case either way.
I find that the artificial tree looks better, is easier to set up and decorate, and save time and money.
As long as I use mine for at least 10 years, I think it is also the more eco-friendly option.
As for the Christmas smell, I use a fragrance of Douglas fir.
That adds to the feeling of Christmas in the home.
I have incredible memories of Christmases in the past with a real tree, freshly cut, decorated to the max, taking center stage in the living room.
For many years it was difficult to imagine Christmas without a real tree in the house, emanating that wonderful Christmas tree smell which is part of the whole Christmas experience.
But nowadays, artificial Christmas trees are available that are incredibly realistic looking.
Some of these fake trees are so life-like that I have a difficult time telling that they are in fact artificial from across the room.
Indeed, the fake trees actually look better than real trees because they have a completely balanced and proportional shape, unlike real trees, which always have certain visual deficiencies.
Since I am also making efforts to reduce waste, recycle, and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, this begs the question: What is greener, a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree? For the real tree, considerable efforts are made to raise the trees sustainably.
Farms have been established that are dedicated to growing various types of evergreen trees used at Christmas, and they make sure to have replanting programs in place so that there are always new trees being grown to replace those that are harvested each year.
Still, growing these trees requires some pesticides, and fuel is required each year to cut them and transport them to towns across America.
When Christmas is over, the trees must be disposed of.
Some municipalities have Christmas tree recycling programs that keep the trees out of landfills, but not all.
Many trees do go to landfills, and some are burned, creating carbon dioxide emissions.
And don't forget that real Christmas trees are highly flammable, posing some fire risk.
For artificial trees, the negative is that most are produced largely from petroleum-derived materials.
Polyvinyl chloride is a commonly-used plastic, and some fake trees even contain lead, although these can be avoided fairly easily by careful shopping.
On the positive side, an artificial tree will last for many years.
No annual trips to pick out a new tree are required, saving fuel and time.
Over 10-20 years, this can add up to an amount that outweighs the petroleum-based input into manufacturing.
A fake tree is also a significant money saver if it is reused for a number of years.
The set up of the artificial trees is also easier than a real tree.
The strings of lights can stay on the trees while it is stored, saving time each year when the tree is brought out and decorated.
On balance, there is not a strongly compelling case either way.
I find that the artificial tree looks better, is easier to set up and decorate, and save time and money.
As long as I use mine for at least 10 years, I think it is also the more eco-friendly option.
As for the Christmas smell, I use a fragrance of Douglas fir.
That adds to the feeling of Christmas in the home.