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Fake Versus Real Christmas Trees: Which is More Environmentally Friendly?
A fake or real green Christmas?
Fake Christmas trees — they’re no doubt the most convenient, quick (some even come with pre-installed lights), and clean way to go. But many people also think they’re more environmentally friendly than real trees too.
A story in The New York Times this weekend shines a light on the question of fake versus real Christmas trees. Apparently many of our most environmentally conscious are buying the fake ones on purpose (we’ve got 50 million in homes this year, as opposed to about 30 million real trees), assuming that they’re doing the planet a favor.
Here’s why they’re wrong:
Last year, an environmental consulting firm released the most definitive study to date on the fake tree debate and found that using real trees is significantly more environmentally friendly. You would have to use a fake tree for 20 years to make it more green than a perennial tree.
The carbon emissions from a real tree are one third the emissions from a fake tree’s average six-year lifespan. And fake trees use PVC — a potential carcinogen.
Part of the reason people are misguided about Christmas trees and the environment is that we assume cutting down trees is inherently bad. But in fact Christmas tree lots are grown and maintained especially for this purpose, and those tree farms help carve out and protect green space and farm land where it might otherwise be developed.
Trees release oxygen and fix carbon, and that doesn’t change because they are chopped down and replaced every year. Right now there are about 400 million real trees in farms across the country. Real trees can be composted and mulched — last year New York City did this with over 150,000 real trees. Fake trees end up in the landfill.
Ride your bike to work if you can, reuse your grocery bags and the holiday wrapping paper from last year. But if you’re trying to go green this season, welcome a real tree into your home.
Image: flickr/futureshape
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7 Comments
goddess commented on Dec 20 10 at 1:06 pmNah. We put ours up the day after T-Giving and take it down sometime in January. A live tree would be hazardous for us. And costlier over the years as well. I get 10 yrs out of my artificial trees.
Larissa commented on Dec 20 10 at 2:35 pmMy in-laws have the same tree they used when my husband was a child. They’ve far surpassed the repeat use to make the fake tree a “green” choice (not that that was their motive), but man, that thing is ugly! :)
heatherturgeon commented on Dec 20 10 at 4:31 pmfake beats real for cost, for sure. in our neighborhood the going rate for a decent real one is $65.
Kim commented on Dec 21 10 at 7:20 amDefinitely an economical issue for me. I bought a $20 tree & it lasted me 8 years. I just bought a new one for $30 & expect to use it at least 8 more years, if not longer. And we also leave ours up for about a month, so a real tree would be a fire hazard if it was left up that long.
mbaker commented on Dec 21 10 at 8:57 amWe would love to have that Norman Rockwell moment of driving to a tree farm to pick out our tree and cut it down but we have such bad allergies that it isn’t possible. In fact, when I was in college I had to stop going to church because during the Advent season they decorated the sanctuary with real greenery and it would make me really sick.
JesBelle commented on Dec 21 10 at 4:32 pmI wish I had a real tree. I grew up in tree farm country. An 8-foot blue spruce was about $35 and it was fresh, so it lasted over a month. Where I am now that same tree would cost more like $85. Our fake has more than paid for itself, and I’ll use it as long as I can, but I know it’s not really a green choice.
Mark Rohlfs commented on Jun 19 11 at 10:25 amWhile live trees may be practical in some cases, for the vast majority of people in the US this is not really a sustainable or energy efficient approach. The most definitive study of this question can be read at http://www.ellipsos.ca/site_files/File/Christmas%20Tree%20LCA%20-%20ellipsos.pdf.
Oregon Christmas tree growers have begun an environmental certification process that physically audits and inspect tree farm’s sustainable farming practices. Growers must have a detailed sustainability plan that identifies and protects wildlife, demonstrates positive soil and water conservation, uses integrated pest management techniques, practices sound nutrient management, provides worker training, santiation and safety, and educates the public through consumer outreach. Read more at http://www.environmentalchristmastrees.com
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