The Great Christmas Tree Dilemma: Real, Fake, or None at All?

A Christmas Tree Farm Well, I guess we have to say the “greenest”, most environmentally-friendly route to take is none at all.

Bah! Humbug!

If you’re not interested in being Scrooge and want to be green as well as have some green in the form of a Christmas tree, the next question becomes: real or fake?

While it may seem as if a fake tree is the greenest option, it isn’t. Most artificial trees or made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and some even use lead to stabilize some of the PVC elements. Now really, how Christmas-y is that? More importantly, how green is that?

Not very.

So that settles it. A real tree is best, but even all real trees aren’t created equal – at least not the ones that will eventually make it inside your house spreading holiday cheer.

So based on my research here are some basic points you might want to consider when getting your tree:

Go to a local tree farm: A Christmas tree farm has “sustainability built into the business”. After all, there’s next Christmas. And buying locally means, of course, that your tree hasn’t been trucked in from hundreds of miles away. Your tree is cut down and another will take it’s place. Some also argue that if the land weren’t used as a tree farm, it would likely be developed, at least in some cases, for use with no, or very few, trees at all.
Find out if the trees are grown organically: Get your tree from a producer that doesn’t use pesticides.
Plan for after the holidays: The whole process up to now is a bit moot if the tree is just going to be thrown out on the curb on January 2^nd or, even worse, incinerated (look at all that carbon being released into the atmosphere – Merry Christmas!). Which can be a sticky wicket for some. But if you can you should either a) plant the tree in your backyard, but only if the tree makes sense for your climate and soil type or, b) recycle, compost, or have the tree turned into mulch. Many cities offer a tree recycling program and for most urban types, that is probably the best option. Just make sure that the tree doesn’t end up in a landfill somewhere.

There is always the treeless option. It doesn't mean you’re a scrooge. I’m sorry that I even suggested that. After all, the holiday season is about family, love, and peace on earth. You don’t need a tree to celebrate that!

Sources and Further Reading:
Treehugger
Grist
Care2.com
National Christmas Tree Association