The Argument for Real Christmas Trees
As we pack up Christmas décor for another year, consider a new way of thinking about Christmas trees.
When it comes to sustainability benefits, team real tree or fake tree? The fake tree often gets a pass because it’s reusable, not to mention convenient and customizable. The sad truth is, they don’t beat real trees, even if real trees are being cut down and replaced every year. Most fake trees are made from PVC plastic, steel, and chemical additives, shipped halfway around the world, and are nearly impossible to recycle. Fake trees break down into microplastics, adding one more thing to your home that may be quietly contributing to health issues. And, ultimately, many say you’d need to keep a fake tree for at least a decade to break even with the impacts of a real one.
Real Christmas trees are grown on farms specifically planted for harvest, meaning no forests are being cleared to make room for them. While they’re growing, they sequester carbon, stabilize soil, support wildlife habitat, and often help keep agricultural land from being sold off for development. After the holidays, most real trees can be composted, mulched, or recycled into erosion control or habitat projects. There’s also a long history here worth remembering. Christmas tree farming in the U.S. took off in the early 20th century as a way for farmers to diversify income and stabilize rural economies. Today, there are thousands of family-run tree farms across all 50 states. Buying a real tree is a vote for working lands staying working lands.
But there’s still a fair critique of the traditional cut tree model: one tree, one season. That’s where tree rental comes in. Tree rental programs provide a living, potted tree that you keep for the holidays and then return to be reused year after year, until the tree is too big to be a decoration and is planted either at a farm or, in some cases, as part of restoration projects. The same tree can celebrate a decade of Christmases, providing environmental benefits all the while.
Sustainability is often about choosing the least-wasteful option that fits real life. Christmas traditions are often criticized for their encouragement of overconsumption, but luckily, we can make a few choices here and there that reduce the waste. Real Christmas trees give us a cleaner option while supporting farmers. All we have to do is accept wrapping lights on them ourselves. And if you’re already decked out with fake trees, the key is take care of them so they last as long as possible before heading to the landfill.
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I like the idea of renting a real tree! I had no idea that was an option.