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Every year millions of us wrench a tree out of the ground and haul it into our living rooms, where we sit around watching it die for two weeks before dragging out to the pavement and leaving it there for the bin men. It's an odd tradition, isn't it? Nonetheless, we love a good Christmas tree as much as the next person, so how can you choose a 'green' one?
Many people believe that a plastic tree will have a smaller carbon footprint than a real tree, as long as they reuse it enough. Research has proved this wrong, though. Even taking into account an optimistic ten years of reuse, the footprint of making a plastic tree and shipping it from Hong Kong makes a real tree the greener option. Of course, if you already have one, then reusing a plastic tree for as long as possible is the best way to go.
If you do use a real Christmas tree, then the main thing to consider is where and how it was grown. Make sure you get one from a sustainable source. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association has a set of guidelines that growers can adhere to, which covers everything from sustainable seeds and cultivation to tasking into account local wildlife. So it's worth checking when you buy your tree that it is grown in accordance with these standards. The Soil Association also certifies some trees as organic, which means that no pesticide will have been used on them during growing.
Recycling is another important step for a green Christmas. If you're lucky enough to have a big garden and a mulching machine, then you can turn your tree into compost, but there are plenty of people who are willing to do that for you. Phone your council to find your nearest tree recycling point.
The best way to use a real tree, though, is to use a live one. You can grow your own with a kit from Ecotopia -- although it might just be a bit late to start growing one for this year -- or you can try Pines and Needles who offer healthy Nordmann Fir and Norway Spruce trees in pots (and can recycle them afterwards too). This means that they will stay fresh all the way through Christmas, won't drop needles all over your floor and you can even plant them in the garden in January. Failing that, take the tinsel off and keep them indoors all year round.
For something altogether different there's always the Woodland Trust's new 'eco trees' made of recycled card that you can fold down and use year after year. Or you could just forego the whole palaver and dedicate a tree -- it'll offset some carbon emissions, too.
28 November 2007 06:20pm
We have no choice about the artificial trees as my brother is allergic to them. Some of the chemicals on artificial trees bother my asthma too. So when I find one that I like and doesn't bother anyone I keep it. We had the same tree for far more than 10 years. My Mom bought it when my brother was little and we only got rid of it when he was in his 30's. It was a good quality tree but we also took care and packed it up carefully each year. though we moved to a few different addresses in all that time we set up the same tree each Christmas. I bought a cheap artificial tree for myself when I had my first place on my own. It is still ok, seven years old now, but I want to find one that is taller now as I bought it for a small apartment at the time. It is in great shape and I will take it to a thrift store, still with the original box I bought it with. I don't see why the artificial trees can not last far beyond the ten years you have given them. What do you do to your tree that it has such a short life?
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