Artificial or Real Christmas Tree?
Artificial or Real Christmas Tree?
With Christmas just around the corner, the age-old debate of artificial or real Christmas tree is something for us think about. To make it easier, we have made a list and checked it twice to see how these two trees compare. People often believe that artificial trees are more environmentally friendly than their natural counterpart but is this always the case?
For some, picking out a Christmas tree every year is a family experience difficult to beat. In the home, the smell of the fresh pine needles and the variation that each tree brings can be a fantastic way to gear up for the festive season. While for some it’s the nostalgia of unboxing the artificial tree year after year, the familiarity of putting up the same family Christmas tree, knowing it’s size and place in the house, and the perks of not having to hoover up fallen needles or the need to dispose of the tree afterwards.
Additionally, some of us might think we are doing the right thing for the planet by not having a freshly cut tree in the home every year. However, research by The Carbon Trust suggest you might need to use your artificial tree for around 12 years before you make it greener than a real tree!
The table below shows the carbon footprint of each tree.
|
Tree |
Carbon Dioxide (CO2e) |
|
6ft real Christmas tree that is disposed of in a woodchipper or bonfire |
3.5 KG |
|
6ft real Christmas tree that is disposed of in landfill |
16 KG |
|
6ft artificial Christmas tree |
40 KG |
Quite a surprise! The Carbon Trust advises that a real Christmas tree has a ‘significantly lower’ carbon footprint than an artificial tree. You can reduce that carbon footprint even further if the tree is recycled afterwards or if it is a potted and used again next year.
Just one Christmas tree can absorb 1 tonne of CO2 during its lifetime and with over 350 million trees grown at any one time, this generates massive environmental benefits. Not only that but Christmas trees are able to grow on soil that is unfit for other crops and those pesky fallen pine needles can be swept up and used again in the garden as they have excellent fertilising properties. Perfect for anyone with a new year’s resolution to start home gardening.
Considering the CO2 facts above and the multiple ways to get the most out of your real tree, it turns out that real Christmas trees can have environmental benefits too.
So, whether you will be celebrating this festive period with a real tree or an artificial one, big or small, messy or minimalist, busy or bare, snow covered, or tinsel smothered, we hope that you’ll consider how the environment might be impacted by your festive habits and look to ways at reducing your waste.
