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We love trees. They clean our air and water, store our carbon, and lend a hand in creating many of the things we depend on, from our homes and furniture to our beloved Louisville Sluggers. So we should never, ever cut one down for the sole purpose of decorating our living rooms for the month of December, right? Actually, wrong.
“If you choose a real Christmas tree over an artificial one, count yourself among the ‘greener’ holiday makers,” according to James Schroeder, Eastern Washington program director for The Nature Conservancy.
Here’s why:
Approximately 30 million trees are harvested annually for Christmas, out of the 350 to 500 million growing on tree farms across the country. As each year's trees are harvested for sale, there are more than 10 times as many left standing. A tradition of buying real trees keeps tree farms in business — and their lands covered in forest.
Conversely, about 10 million artificial trees are purchased each year; 90 percent are shipped to the U.S. from China. Artificial trees are not recyclable. In fact, most are made from a kind of plastic called polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is derived from petroleum.
Want to get even greener?
● Visit a cut-your-own tree farm instead of purchasing a pre-cut tree. That way, you’ll know for certain that it wasn’t shipped from outside your area.
● Use LED lights — they’ll use as little as 10 percent of the electricity and last for years.
● Skip the non-recyclable tinsel and make garlands out of popcorn or cranberries. Keep using heirloom ornaments year after year. If you’re looking to fill some space on the tree, forgo store-bought decorations and try turning holiday cards or your child’s artwork into ornaments. Or go for a walk to collect pine cones or seashells and decorate with glue and glitter.
● If you’re planning to purchase ornaments, choose wooden ones over plastic. When you travel during the year, pick up a painted wood ornament from the destination you visit. Soon you’ll have a collection of ornaments that brings back memories of trips with friends and family.
● Recycle your Christmas tree. Many areas offer a post-Christmas curbside pickup, and the trees are typically chipped or ground to use in mulch.
For more green holiday ideas, visit blog.nature.org/green-gift-holidays.
