Christmas tree: to be real or not to be?

The festive season is just around the corner, and the purchase of a Christmas tree is imminent for a number of UK households. Yet a recurring debate arises alongside the acquisition of a conifer, that many still consider essential to a successful Christmas celebration: should it be real, or artificial? 

This year, people are buying Christmas trees earlier than ever. Source: Cambridgeshire.

It comes as no surprise that the Christmas tree is still the star of the show during Christmas celebrations. Many of us consider it as a highly festive symbol and cherish the time spent decorating it. 

 After all, this is the central meeting point during Christmas, where families meet and greet, open gifts, and share precious moments.  

According to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, between eight and 10 million real Christmas trees are sold – and discarded – each year in the UK. 

Between eight and 10 million real Christmas trees are discarded each year in the UK. Source: the New York Times.

And whilst it is undoubtedly pleasant to experience that pine-fresh scent each December, growing a Christmas tree takes eight to 10 years according to the Woodland Trust.  

“It’s a huge effort to go and destroy it a short time later,” says Callum    O’Driscoll, founder of Eco-Elf, a Christmas tree recycling business.  

 So, should we opt for a plastic tree instead, and do fake or real Christmas trees have a lower Carbon footprint?  

 From a financial standpoint, the idea of buying a fake tree that is being reused each year makes sense. A plastic tree is expected to last significantly longer than a real one.  

 Quite surprisingly, The Carbon Trust revealed that a real Christmas tree has a “significantly lower” carbon footprint than a fake one, especially when disposed of in an environmentally-conscious way.

As the organization’s researchers point out, artificial Christmas trees are produced from crude oil and generate almost three times more greenhouse gas emissions.  

 These are not recyclable or biodegradable, so unless it is being reused for at least 10 years, they will still end up in a landfill.  

Soil Association Forestry officer Anne Mari Cobb explains that choosing a real tree over Christmas is the best option against a fake tree. 

She says, “real Christmas trees are a renewable resource that doesn’t result in pollution if responsibly recycled or disposed of.” 

There now exists alternative options to the strict binary of real or plastic trees to choose from, including tree rental, which ensures that the disposal process is taken care of and that potential waste is non-existent.   

Local UK companies – such as Eco Elf or Green Elf – offer customers the possibility to choose their desired tree species and size online.  

 The Christmas tree is delivered to households in late November to early December. It comes potted – rather than cut – and it is then collected after Christmas and taken back to the farm, where it can continue to grow, ready for the next year.   

Eco Elf believes that renting trees in this “circular scheme” curbs waste and ensures renewal for a “new lease of life”.  

There exist other, more environmentally-friendly options than buying a tree. Which one will you choose? Source: The Mirror. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/seven-million-christmas-trees-dumped-23118018