Is a real Christmas tree good for the environment?

Real or Fake: Which Christmas tree is better for the environment? Short answer–real! Real trees help fight climate change, and even though your Christmas tree is cut down, you're actually supporting forests.

Is it environmentally friendly to have a real Christmas tree?

Well, researchers have found that real Christmas trees have a smaller carbon footprint, and are therefore better for the environment than fake ones.

Why is a real Christmas tree better for the environment?

In terms of disposing of the trees, fake trees in a landfill will take centuries to break down while real trees will break down much quicker or can be used as compost or firewood. However, artificial trees last more than one season so using one every year will cut down on emissions needed to transport a tree.

Which is better for the environment fake or real Christmas trees?

The research conducted by Ellipsos and the American Christmas Tree Association – both using comparative life cycle approaches – found that real trees generate less greenhouse gas emissions per Holiday season than artificial ones, but that this changes the longer your artificial tree is around for because the emissions ...

Are Christmas trees bad for climate change?

It may take 8 to 12 years to grow a good sized tree. But during that time, the tree is taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. It is cleaning the air and helping slow climate change. If people didn't buy the cut trees, the farmers wouldn't plant them.

Are real Christmas trees better for the environment?

Are Christmas trees ethical?

So yes, Christmas tree farms actually do their part to reduce global warming, and so these pines are therefore possibly the most ethical kind of Christmas tree you can buy. Furthermore, an acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen for the daily needs of 18 people.

How bad is Christmas for the environment?

According to Biffa, more than 100 million rubbish bags are sent to landfills over the Christmas period. And globally, the excess waste from packaging, wrapping paper, cards and food increases by 25 to 30% during the holiday season.

What's the most environmentally friendly Christmas tree?

Getting a live Christmas tree with the root ball attached is by far the most eco-friendly Christmas tree. If you can't get a tree with an attached root ball, getting a live Christmas tree is more eco-friendly than getting an artificial Christmas tree.

How long does it take for a fake Christmas tree to decompose?

Artificial tree, after production

When the artificial tree's life is over, it is taken to a landfill where it takes 500+ years to decompose.

Why are artificial trees bad?

In the U.S., around 10 million artificial trees are purchased each season. Nearly 90 percent of them are shipped across the world from China, resulting in an increase of carbon emissions and resources. And because of the material they are made of, most artificial trees are not recyclable and end up in local landfills.

How does a fake Christmas tree impact the environment?

Often produced and shipped from China, they also have a hefty carbon footprint — to the tune of up to 88lbs of CO2 per artificial tree, which is over 10X higher than that of a sustainably grown, properly recycled real Christmas tree.

Why artificial trees are better than real trees?

Per the Carbon Trust's data on tree carbon footprints, those who have an artificial tree should reuse it for at least 10 holiday seasons to keep its environmental impact lower than that of getting a new real tree each year. According to Warner, a high-quality artificial tree can last as many as 20 years.

How do you make a Christmas tree eco-friendly?

Are Christmas trees biodegradable?

Real Christmas Trees are biodegradable, which means they can be easily reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes. Learn about the many ways that Real Christmas Trees are being recycled and reused in communities nationwide.

Are fake Christmas trees biodegradable?

These trees are not recyclable nor biodegradable, so even if they do happen to last you 10 years before breaking (they likely will not), they will still end up in a landfill somewhere.

Is Christmas tree farming sustainable?

The plantation-grown Holiday tree is a renewable resource that is environmentally superior to oil based (plastic) artificial trees. Holiday trees decompose in landfills and quickly replentish soil nutrients rather than release toxins for a period of years.

Why are Christmas trees unsustainable?

A 5 foot Christmas tree made from plastic can have a carbon footprint up to 88 pounds of CO2. That is more than 10 times the amount of disposing a real Christmas tree.

What are the drawbacks of using a real holiday tree?