31 replies to this topic

[mariaandrea]

Real, cut Christmas trees - the majority of the tree farms they come from are sustainable businesses. They plant new trees for the ones they cut down. They have to in order to stay in business. Real trees can be chipped and composted - which my city does with the trees they collect from the curb after Christmas. But does that justify cutting trees down at all?

Fake trees - they last for years and years and no real trees need to be cut down. I've had one for 15 years now. I don't use it every year, but it's in perfect condition so I'm going to keep it around for years I might want to use it. On the other hand, eventually they end up in a landfill and the materials most are made of are not particularly biodegradable.

Live trees - They won't die (usually) and pose a little less risk of fire hazard with the huge benefit that you can plant them in the ground outside after Christmas. Considering the vast loss of trees all over the planet this is probably the most environmentally friendly option. They're also expensive and sometimes hard to find and don't work for most apartment dwellers.

What do you think? They all have advantages and disadvantages. Real, fake or live? What are you going to do this year?

[zararina]

Here, specially us who live in the city usually just have fake Christmas tress. There are no trees here suitable for such occasion and I guess no one had such business of selling real trees during Christmas. It is not just a "thing" here.
It was right that fake Christmas trees lasts for years just like the tree we have here. We just keep using it for years and would just keep it properly so that we could still use it for more years to come.

[Germs]

I've had the same fake Christmas tree for as long as i can remember, never felt the need for a real tree.

[milano]

plastic trees all the way. They are more economical and I believe more environmentally friendly than cutting down a tree every year just to let it dry out and get thrown out in the trash after a few days. I have a good plastic tree not those cheap looking ones and it is still in perfect condition even if its already more than 10 years old and used every year.

The only thing I miss with a real tree is the scent of it. No plastic can mimic that.

[mariaandrea]

milano, on 17 November 2011 - 09:01 AM, said:

plastic trees all the way. They are more economical and I believe more environmentally friendly than cutting down a tree every year just to let it dry out and get thrown out in the trash after a few days. I have a good plastic tree not those cheap looking ones and it is still in perfect condition even if its already more than 10 years old and used every year.

The only thing I miss with a real tree is the scent of it. No plastic can mimic that.

What I do in the years that I do use a fake Christmas tree is get some evergreen branches to use as decorations. I'm lucky enough to live in a place chock full of evergreen trees so I can literally find them lying on the side of the road, but Christmas tree lots also sell branches and wreaths. I love the Cedar branches best, but any of them add the scent to the house without using a whole tree.

[lexibethr]

We have been going with the real ones the last few years because we would always be out looking for a fake tree the month before xmas and of course we would buy a cheap one because we were on a budget but then it wouldnt hold up for longer then a year or two so we would need a new one which I just thought was very wasteful.

[mariaandrea]

lexibethr, on 18 November 2011 - 03:29 PM, said:

We have been going with the real ones the last few years because we would always be out looking for a fake tree the month before xmas and of course we would buy a cheap one because we were on a budget but then it wouldnt hold up for longer then a year or two so we would need a new one which I just thought was very wasteful.

That's a really good point. There's a huge difference between good fake trees and shoddy ones. And of course, the quality trees are not cheap. They pay for themselves over the long run compared to buying a new tree every year, but the initial cash outlay can be a lot. It may be more environmentally friendly to buy a well-constructed fake tree but it's not always friendly to the wallet. :)

[milano]

mariaandrea, on 17 November 2011 - 10:30 AM, said:

What I do in the years that I do use a fake Christmas tree is get some evergreen branches to use as decorations. I'm lucky enough to live in a place chock full of evergreen trees so I can literally find them lying on the side of the road, but Christmas tree lots also sell branches and wreaths. I love the Cedar branches best, but any of them add the scent to the house without using a whole tree.

Yes i do miss the scent but I didn't know you can buy branches and wreaths only and not the whole tree. It has been years since I have tried buying a real tree. I guess I have to check them out.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"But many experts believe artificial trees actually have a greater negative environmental impact when all aspects of an
their life cycle are considered.
Today’s artificial trees are typically manufactured with metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-biodegradable,
petroleum-derived plastic. In addition, many older varieties may contain lead, used as a stabilizer in the manufacturing process.
Despite their PVC contents, artificial trees are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, meaning they will sit in a landfill for centuries after disposal.
Furthermore, approximately 85 percent of artificial trees sold in the U.S. are imported from China, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), adding to their overall environmental footprint.
An Even Better Option

Go one step further than the real versus artificial debate and consider a living, potted tree this Christmas. Though not feasible for everybody due to climate and land availability, living trees are brought into the home for about 10 days, then replanted after Christmas. If you don’t have the land for replanting, your local parks department will likely accept your tree for planting after the holidays."
http://earth911.com/...hristmas-trees/

"There are approximately 25 - 30 million Real Christmas trees sold in the U.S. every year.

• Approximately 330,000 Real Christmas trees are shipped via e-commerce or catalog and shipped mail-order.
  
• North American real Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. Eighty percent (80%) of artificial trees are manufactured in China.
  
• Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead.
  
• Consumers can locate the nearest recycling program calling 1-877-EARTH911 or by logging onto www.realchristmastrees.org.
  
• 
  
• For every Real Christmas tree harvested, up to 3 seedlings are planted in its place the following spring.
  
• There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S. While growing on farms, Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and soil and produce oxygen. This is a natural process no artificial tree can replicate.
  
• There are about 21,000 Christmas Tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry.
  
• It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 - 7 feet) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years.
  
• The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
  
• The top selling Christmas trees are: Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Noble Fir, Scotch Pine, Virginia Pine, and White Pine."
  
• http://mitrees.com/i...formation_id=10

[Germs]

milano, on 17 November 2011 - 09:01 AM, said:

plastic trees all the way. They are more economical and I believe more environmentally friendly than cutting down a tree every year just to let it dry out and get thrown out in the trash after a few days. I have a good plastic tree not those cheap looking ones and it is still in perfect condition even if its already more than 10 years old and used every year.

The only thing I miss with a real tree is the scent of it. No plastic can mimic that.

I agree that plastic trees are the better choice for various reason, but i do miss the smell of the real Christmas trees, nothing can compare in my opinion.

[tigerlily78]

Good post, ShoetPoet!   I am still in the real tree camp... I love the smell of a real tree and my cats (3) all think the tree is our present to them. It is pretty funny to watch their reaction every year to the tree. Our city does an annual chipper event and the trash companies refuse to take them, so there is a pretty strong chance most of the trees bought for Christmas will end up as free mulch in our local parks in the spring.

And as ShortPoet indicated, many of the toxins associated with plastic trees concern me greatly.... similarly most Christmas light strings (even the LED ones) contain lead in the plastic as a stabilizer. So, we do a real tree, but no Christmas lights... I have some shimmery ribbons I weave through my tree each year instead.

In the end I *hope* the fact that I am not running Christmas lights helps compensate for having the real tree... and as it's been stated tree farms have a vested interest in increasing the number of pine trees they plant, so in the end there should be a fairly neutral effect or slightly positive effect on tree populations.

[sbjc]

I still prefer to have a real christmas tree rather than an artificial one, but since we do not have an access to have a real christmas tree, we have no other choice but to get an artificial tree inside the house. On the other hand, I don't really care about the christmas tree, what matters me most is to have a heart felt christmas.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Go with live in pots because the drought has wiped out thousands of trees for this season.

"Mother Nature (actually, climate change) delivered the Grinch in the form of a historic drought that has killed thousands
of trees across Texas and Oklahoma. Some died of thirst. Others were destroyed by wildfires, whose breadth and intensity
were magnified when wind swept the flames across parched landscape.

In Texas, less than 11 inches of rain fell this year compared to an annual average of almost 24 inches.
In Oklahoma, there has been about 18.7 inches of rain this year compared to a long-term average of 30 inches.
All trees have been hard-hit by the lack of rain."
http://usnews.msnbc....christmas-trees

[MakingCents]

I've always used a fake tree.  For one it's more economical for me, and for 2 there is less of a risk of a fire hazard.  But I do see the benefit of a real tree.  It smells good, the excitement of going and picking it out, the fact that every year it's a little different.   I dont' think cutting down real trees is bad for the environment.  Think of all the trees that are planted specifically to become Christmas trees.  If nobody wanted those trees, they wouldn't even exist.

[logicalmale]

I've had my fake Christmas Tree for years. I don't see the point of getting a real one, it takes from the environment, can irritate allergies, makes a mess, and is a repetitive cost. o.o

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Dustoffer, on 27 November 2011 - 08:35 PM, said:

We've been using the same fake, but realistic, semi-scrawny 4' Christmas tree for 10 years.

Like this one?
http://christian-dat...istmas-tree.jpg

[magickat]

Growing up we always had real trees and planting them in the garden after the festivities became part of the tradition. Nowadays I have a fake tree, mainly for economical reasons as obviously it saves me buying a new one every year. I think there are good arguments in favour of both, as long as they are dealt with responsibly when no longer needed.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

magickat, on 28 November 2011 - 04:29 AM, said:

as long as they are dealt with responsibly when no longer needed.

That's the thing. Fake trees cannot be recycled so all the old, discarded ones end up in landfills.
(This is not directed at you personally, just making a general statement.)

[MakingCents]

Yes, but a christmas tree that is used for 8-10 years and then discarded is hardly the cause of the full landfills.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

MakingCents, on 28 November 2011 - 08:47 PM, said:

Yes, but a Christmas tree that is used for 8-10 years and then discarded is hardly the cause of the full landfills.

True. Mattresses, appliances and furniture take up a lot of space. But it's the chemical makeup of
fake trees that cause the concern, not their size.