Get a Festivus Pole.
Posted on 12/27/2023 6:12:17 PM PST by nickcarraway
For those celebrating Christmas, you may be increasingly concerned about your carbon footprint when it comes to traditional decoration. Let’s get down to the truth.
It’s the annual dilemma... Do you buy an artificial tree that you may or may not reuse or do you get a real one that will for sure be thrown away eventually?
Let’s start with the artificial tree. Nearly 90% of them are shipped across the world from China, according to The Nature Conservancy, a US-based environmental organisation.
These trees are most likely made of polyvinyl chloride or PVC, which produces greenhouse gases when manufactured and is not biodegradable.
In fact, PVC is one of the most difficult plastics to recycle.
According to The Carbon Trust, a two-metre-tall artificial tree produces about 40 kg of carbon dioxide, whereas a similar-sized real Christmas tree, with no roots, creates 3.5 kg CO2 – so more than 10 times less than the artificial one.
But what if you reuse it? You would need about ten to 20 Christmases to keep its environmental impact lower than buying a real tree every year.
But isn’t cutting down real fir trees similar to deforestation? The main problem with real trees is the impact of Christmas tree farms, which in some cases displace natural ecosystems, according to a study by Ellipsos.
Ellipsos also argued it could be a waste to cut down a real tree for one single use before turning it into mulch or compost.
However, buying real trees will help keep tree farms in business. Denmark is Europe’s largest exporter of Christmas trees, producing 11 million trees every year.
In Belgium, Europe’s second-largest exporter, tree producers have an estimated turnover of €35 million, according to the European Commission.
What's the smartest choice? In the end, the smartest option all depends on each person’s situation. But here are some things you can do to make the greenest choice, according to The Carbon Trust.
If you get a real tree, make sure it’s locally grown and that you either walk or don’t drive too far to buy it.
If you get an artificial tree, make it last. Buy it used or keep it as long as you can. When done with the tree, make sure to throw it away responsibly by donating it to a new home or turning it into mulch.
“If you get an artificial tree, make it last. Buy it used or keep it as long as you can. When done with the tree, make sure to throw it away responsibly by donating it to a new home or turning it into mulch.”
Artificial tree into mulch?
No Christmas tree is best for the environment. We have not had one since for at least 12 years. Don’t miss them ether.
Are dildos better than the natural thing?
Trees - The Renewable Resource.
When some get cut down, just plant news ones. Duh……..
No, no I am not.
The writer realizes, surely, that more trees can be planted? Christmas trees are a crop, like corn, wheat, barley, tomatoes, etc. We harvest and plant more.
No, in the entire country, people only by wild, free range trees.
You just get whatever kind of tree you like best.
We haven’t used a real tree in years. We have a nice little artificial tree with lights in the branches. All we have to do is set it up, plug it in, and hang a few ornaments on it. We often don’t bother, since we prefer to take a family vacation and visit somewhere that is already decorated.
A real tree has various problems, like the bird nest we found one year or spiders and other creepy crawlies that live in trees. The cats like to chew on it then throw up. After a couple of weeks, it becomes a fire hazard (even when placed in water).
Get a Festivus Pole.
Real trees are renewable. Sustainable. Eco-friendly. What I like best is the screams when you put the saw to them...
Artificial mulch.
Yes.
I would imagine you could make Christmas trees out of recycled plastic.
My current goal at this phase of my life is to make my carbon footprint large enough to be seen from outer space.
I bought a 9’ artificial tree 20 years ago and still have it. I used to get a couple small live trees to put beside it for the smell then plant them but don’t do that anymore.
Growing up my uncle owned a tree farm in Maine I worked there October through mid December. We started cutting trees in October to ship all over loading trucks and also sold locally.
When I was stationed in Guam in the early 80s my parents sent a 6’ spruce tree to us for Christmas . The post office guy has it in his truck all day and finally delivered it. Said in all his years he never delivered a Christmas tree and loved the smell.
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