The Environmental effect of Christmas Trees

Christmas trees have been around for many years now, nearly 200 years! Around the world Christmas is famous for the presents people give and receive. But where do these presents come from? From under the tree! Therefore, this will be your moment to seek the truth behind one of the most famous icons of the season – the humble Christmas tree!... what is better? A real or fake Christmas tree?

Depending on the circumstances, they both have their pros and cons, for example, if you already have an artificial tree not buying a real tree is the best option.

Real trees are the most environmentally friendly option. Though people chop down trees (for commercial purposes), they produce oxygen for humans. One acre (around 4000m2) of these trees can produce 1000 pounds (around 450kgs) of oxygen, this can supply 18 people’s oxygen a year. A Christmas tree takes around ten years to grow, and in that time, it will make plenty of oxygen. Though they are dirty, with all their leaves and branches, their environmental friendliness might change people’s mind.

Fake trees are not environmentally friendly, they are made of plastic and metal, including PVC, a hazardous source of lead (polyvinyl chloride). They also may contain other hazardous components, such as Dioxins which can cause Cancer. 90% of them are made in China, the Washington Post said that “On the concrete floors of Zhang’s Shuitou Company factory, migrant workers, most earning about $100 a month, squat in front of hissing machinery as they melt chips into moldable plastic…”

Pros and Cons

Real Trees		Fake Trees
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
Environmentally friendly.	May be dirty.	Clean.	Environmentally unfriendly.
Reusable as firewood.	Can usually only be used once.	Easy to set up	Will fall more easily.
Better looks.	The resin might be sticky.	Usable many times.	Will look less good.
		Easy to store.	Possibly toxic.
		You can buy it in all sizes.	Made in bad working conditions.

But... are there other options? You can rent trees; it costs less but is not as environmentally friendly as a real tree. A real tree, but potted! A potted tree may cost a little more, but if you keep it trimmed, it will last you for several Christmases.

All the trees have their plusses and minuses. But, depending on who you are you will choose the right one for you.

References

Unknown Author. “Fake Christmas Tree Facts.” A Tree To Your Door, 26 Sept. 2018, https://www.atreetoyourdoor.com/fake-tree-facts-html/.

Wood, Zoe. “Real or Fake: Which Christmas Tree Is Most Sustainable?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 Dec. 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/04/real-or-fake-christmas-tree-sustainable-environment.

Harrison, Olivia. “10 Surprising Facts about Christmas Trees.” Heritage Radio Network, 2022, https://heritageradionetwork.org/10-surprising-facts-about-christmas-trees.

The title pictures were from Amazon’s stock images.