Fake Christmas tree or Real Christmas tree?

The debate continues on what is the more eco friendly and green Christmas tree. The average live Christmas tree costs about $45, while an artificial tree costs about $80. In 2010, only 23% of US households bought a live Christmas tree, down from 40% in 1991. 2011 projected revenue from live or artificial trees should be roughly equal.

Fresh Christmas tree

A fresh tree consumes a lot of resources and possibly pesticides to grow to a desirable size. It then gets tossed out after the holidays. Think of all the water, pesticides, human labor, and fertilizer that went into growing it. Douglas Fir takes 5 to 6 years to reach maturity. Average Christmas trees take 8 years to grow. Up to 15 years of growing time for just a couple weeks of festivity!  Yes it can be chopped up, composted, recycled, and they help with carbon sequestration.  You could look also for ‘organic’ style growers. In today’s tight economic climate, consumers are buying cheaper Christmas trees, many four-feet tall or shorter.

Recycling Christmas Trees

In San Francisco they recycle Christmas trees through a wood chipper machines. The chips are transported to Tracy for use as biomass fuel, which generates electricity by heating water to make steam.

Left over Christmas trees have been used to create habitats for baby fish in the East Bay Regional Park District for the last 20 years. The trees are dumped near the edge of a lake and allow small fish to hide from predators. Algae grows from the trees, bugs live in the algae, and fish eat these bugs, with the end result being birds eating the fish. If you’re local district does not have a Christmas tree recycling program, be sure to tell them to look into one.

Artificial Christmas tree

An artificial tree can last many years, but is made with lots of material that is not green nor eco friendly. PVC or plastics could even be hazardous. It is not biodegradable nor recyclable.  Most are imported from China, consuming tons of fuel to arrive here. Over the years, quality has improved and with the shifts in demographics, more people are choosing to buy artificial Christmas trees.

An even more eco friendly green alternatives include buying or decorating a plant and then planting in your yard after the holiday. Make a cloth or paper Tree out of materials you already have.

Be sure to use a Tree Timer to prevent it from lighting up during day time hours or in in the middle of the night.  Also use low power LED lighting to illuminate your Christmas tree.