Which is Greener, Real or Fake Christmas Trees?
As you prepare to deck the halls for Christmas, you may be wondering: What’s better for the environment, a real Christmas tree or a fake Christmas tree? The debate is a hot one, but most green-minded individuals agree that it’s best to stick to the real thing.
Even though fake Christmas trees can be used again and again, year after year, and don’t require you to cut down a tree, they’re far from natural. Most faux firs are made from non-renewable materials like PVC or petroleum-based plastics. Many contain lead and other toxins as well. Not exactly the kind of thing you want to gather your family around, right?
That said, some real trees can bring toxins in, too. Most are grown as agricultural products and throughout their eight-year growth cycles, they’ll get repeated pesticide applications. Pesticides aren’t just a problem inside either, they can infiltrate our waterways when they’re still at the farm and later if the tree is discarded in a landfill. Despite pesticides, tree farms do have environmental benefits, too. One acre of Christmas trees supports 18 people with oxygen to breathe, generally each cut tree gets replaced with 2 or 3 seedlings and tree farms provide a habitat to birds and woodland creatures.
The best option is to find an organic Christmas tree farm nearby. This way, you can rest assured that pesticides aren’t covering your tree. Even better? Choose a tree that still has its roots intact so you can replant it in your yard after the holidays are over. If you can’t plant your tree post-Christmas be sure to recycle it. Old trees can be ground into mulch, used as barriers on beaches to prevent erosion and more.
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