Does a real or artificial tree star in your home?
Which is greener: Buying an artificial tree and putting it up year after year or each year cutting a real tree, putting it up for about a month and then dragging it to the curb?
Industry experts don’t agree.
The National Christmas Tree Association, which promotes the use of real trees, maintains that real trees are greener.
But the American Christmas Tree Association, which was formed this year to provide people with facts to make intelligent decisions about Christmas trees, says artificial trees create a smaller carbon footprint.
In case you’re still out on a limb when it comes to picking an environmentally friendly tree, here are some things to consider:
Artificial trees
-- The majority of artificial trees are produced abroad, primarily in China, which means the trees will have traveled thousands of miles before landing on local store shelves.
-- Artificial trees are made of metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, a petroleum byproduct. The non-biodegradable trees cannot be recycled and end up in the landfill.
-- Artificial trees are reusable. The average tree lasts five to 15 years, depending on use.
Real trees
-- Real trees are grown locally, sometimes on farms that use organic or sustainable methods. Trees are a renewable resource. Most tree farms plant at least one and more often several trees for every one that is cut.
-- Each acre of real trees sequesters carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the air and produces enough oxygen for 18 people each day.
-- Real trees are recyclable and biodegradable, and live trees, with their roots still attached, can be planted after the holidays.
Disagreement
Rick Dungey, a spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association, the group that promotes the use of real trees, said it’s “amazing” people haven’t figured out which kind of tree is the greener option.
“It’s a really easy decision, quite frankly,” he said. “It’s always better to use a natural, biodegradable plant grown on a farm here in North America rather than a plastic, non-biodegradable product made in a factory overseas.”
But Thomas Harman, a spokesperson for the American Christmas Tree Association, said a recent study commissioned by the organization says exactly the opposite.
The “cradle-to-grave” study found that a person using an average artificial Christmas tree for 10 years has a smaller carbon footprint than a person using an average farm-grown Christmas tree each year for 10 years.
“The biggest thing that makes the difference is transportation from the point of retail to the consumer’s home,” Harman said.
Artificial trees are shipped overseas and then trucked across the country, he said, and most people don’t drive more than a few miles to purchase an artificial tree. But people who cut down their own tree at tree farms often drive several miles out of town, he said.
“What’s not efficient is you getting in your car to buy your tree,” Harman said. “That’s where the most global warming takes place. Over 10 years, that really starts to add up. And the further you drive … the worse it is for the environment.”
But Dungey said it’s what happens to the tree in the end that’s the kicker.
Even if people reuse an artificial tree for a couple decades, it still will end up in the landfill, he said.
“It’s never going to biodegrade, it’s never going to decompose,” Dungey said. “But every farm-grown tree is biodegradable and turns back into soil.”
Which should you buy?
It all depends on your family traditions, your personal beliefs and your sense of duty to the environment, said Ray Guries, a forest and wildlife ecology professor at UW-Madison.
“We all bring a perspective to it that’s unique,” he said. “Those things do influence a decision, but which ones weigh heaviest is difficult to know.”
Deciding which Christmas tree to buy involves more than just its impact on the environment, Guries said.
“There will be someone who will take exception,” he said. “This is like politics or religion.”
Dec 11, 2008 at 12:27 p.m.
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Beeferer....you gave me the willies...
Dec 10, 2008 at 4:57 p.m.
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balsoM. i mean.
Dec 10, 2008 at 4:55 p.m.
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pepper- try a balson fir- i have red bumply arms with alot of trees and no reaction to this kind. cen get right into the middle with lights and all and no rash itchy crap.pretty sure i have correct name of tree
Dec 10, 2008 at 4:10 p.m.
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Although I grew up with live trees (some were put in a big galvanized tub, and were planted in our yard int he Spring), we have an artificial one now.
I miss the annual "expedition" to pick just the right tree, and I miss, the smell, but I do not miss testing and wrapping all those lights on the branches. The time, frustration, and reaction to all the needle pokes on the backs of my hands and arms was just not worth it. The pre-lit artificial goes up and gets decorated in an hour, vs. a 4+ hour process before. And we don't have a mountain of needles to clean up when we take the tree down, either!
Dec 10, 2008 at 3:42 p.m.
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I live in an apartment and have to have an artificial tree. For those who like the pine tree smell: artificial tree+real wreath=better than nothing.
Dec 10, 2008 at 11:24 a.m.
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It's simple for us. I don't care, and my wife is alergic to real trees, so we have an artifitial one. I can apreciate those that like the tradition of hiking out and cutting your tree, but on the other hand we have the tradition of getting the tree out of storage, setting it up, decorating, etc.
I agree with TCB, buy whichever you want and don't feel guilty (unless you're living beyond your means and you're feeling guilty about spending the money).
Dec 10, 2008 at 9:10 a.m.
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Kayla Bunge:
Attached is a story from the Portland Tribune in 2006. Your torturend logic regarding the environmental impact of artificial v. real trees is just that----tortured.
One could say the equipment used to type your story originated in china, made by "factory workers overseas" and after a few years end up in a landfill-just like an artificial tree or a real tree. Or think of the environmental impact to the land when the tree farmer uses fertilizer or plant food to spark or enhance the growth of commercially harvested trees? There is a chance those chemical (maybe even pertroluem based chemicals) could find its way into the water system....
Really, your story is silly. Real trees or artificial trees, its a consumers choice. Global warming? Really? There is no observational evidence in measured data going back 22,000 years or even millions of years that CO2 levels (whether from man or nature) have driven or are driving world temperatures. Infact world temperatures have not risen and indeed have fallen over the past 10 years while CO2 levels have risen dramatically. SO if CO2 levels continue to rise and temps continue to fall is man made activity the cause of climate change? This is not settled science, as Al Gore would like for you to believe.
So the issue, buy a real tree or an artificial tree and do not feel guilty about your purchase.
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainab...
Dec 9, 2008 at 4:33 p.m.
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We prefer real trees, but for the past three years we have had an artificial. The cost savings is tremendous. If you buy an artificial on sale in a few years you'll have your money back over a real tree and begin saving money each year thereafter. I think if someone buys a fake tree and keeps it for a decent length of time, then the environmental aspect is a non issue. As mentioned, the carbon footprint for driving to pick up a real tree, driving it home, planting a new one, fertilizing it, over the course of ten years is probably equal to someone buying a fake tree. I think the best option is to buy a real tree, but then plant it. My uncle used to do that and he had a rather nice property line after a number of years. If I ever have more money, I'll start putting up real trees again.
Dec 9, 2008 at 4:19 p.m.
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I have a real tree ever year 11 footer. i have 3 cats and they try to drink the water but i have holder that they cant fit their head into to drink. i didnt do a tree this year. so kitten will have to wait till next year to see what happens. then just cut and drag to curb. i have enough to pack away without packing away a tree. can also just stand in the snow and let birds use it for the winter. i did have a cat once clibb up the middle half way. i cannot smell well at all but still like the look of a real tree.
Dec 9, 2008 at 4:04 p.m.
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A decorated palm tree in the tropics is my choice!!
Dec 9, 2008 at 3:19 p.m.
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ncpanfan- A Christmas wedding would be nice.. Good luck! :)
Dec 9, 2008 at 2:35 p.m.
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real trees also thaw when they're brought inside...a huge problem for anyone allergic to mold. Once the tree warms up, the mold begins to be an issue. Also, some allergy sufferers are are allergic to the tree itself.
For allergy sufferers opting for a fake tree, sealed storage is important.
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:51 a.m.
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The artificial ones they have now are very nice and look much better than they used to. Many of them look so real that people think they are. I guess I could live with one now but I still cherish my family time picking out a tree and this year was even more special as my son's girlfriend joined us and I am hoping that she will become my daughter when they finish college!
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:46 a.m.
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Growing up I had an artificial tree and my husband had a real tree. Our artificial tree never looked "sad" when I was a kid, so I didn't have an opinion either way as long as my husband agreed to help with the watering and cleaning if we got a real tree. Needless to say, he had a very strong opinion of what kind of tree we had. Our artificial tree looks beautiful in our living room :0).
On another note, the artificial tree we had growing up lasted about 20-25 years. I remember the year my Mom decided it was time to get a new one. One of the branches fell off and was not reparable. She went out that night and got herself a brand new artificial tree. Now when she puts it up, everyone still asks if its real.
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:31 a.m.
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Growing up my parents always put a dinky,little, bent out of shape, Charlie Brown artificial tree up on top of the chest of drawers. We begged for real trees and even though we lived in the woods, my dad would never get us one. I swore to myself that I would have real trees and we have made it our family tradition to go to a local farm and cut our own on Thanskgiving morning. I love the smell and the family time it gives us. -
Here is the kicker. NOW my parents get a real tree every year... (they also bought a wood splitter but growing up we were the wood splitters!- Go figure) LOL
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:25 a.m.
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I enjoy other people's trees. Plastic, or the wood kind.
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:24 a.m.
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The Christmas tree industry is money driven like anything else. Businesses that sell real trees will naturally be against artificial trees. Companies that manufacture artificial trees will be anti-"real" trees as well. The people making money in this industry could care less about the landfills and the environmental part of the equation. The answer to everything in their world is money first, people and the environment "second". Besides that, it's not about "the tree", it's about what the tree represents and that's Christmas, which represents something very special! (I won't go into that! Don't want to ruffle the feathers of the modern age intellects!)
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:19 a.m.
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nordeana- we got one last year at K-Mart in Janesville. It was hard to find one. You could try calling them and asking if they are carrying them this year also.
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:18 a.m.
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I would agree that there is no problem with a properly maintained real tree that is promptly disposed of after Christmas (or "The Holidays" as we now seem to call it).
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:17 a.m.
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I always buy a real tree right before Christmas, this weekend in fact we will be buying ours, and it comes down after the New Year, usually on the 2nd. We have 3 cats and a rottweiler so its fun, we usually have to decorate it a couple times. Its cheaper and easier to put up, plus I love how it smells.
Too bad about those spiders, I thought they hatched in Spring. Ugh! I would have been freaked too...
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:11 a.m.
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We have 3 cats, so that rules out getting real trees. I guess they're not that toxic, but the needles can pierce interal organs if swalled.
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:06 a.m.
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The last year I had a real tree was the year I noticed a lot "dirt" on the floor one morning. Upon closer investigation I noticed that the "dirt" was moving. It turned out to be millions of baby spiders that had apparently hatched. What a nightmare. Since then we have had an artificial tree for over 20 years now. We were contemplating getting a new one but it is still in great shape and I am guessing it'll be around for another 20 years. That's probably longer than I will be around.
Dec 9, 2008 at 10:06 a.m.
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I live in an apartment building and we are not allowed to have a real tree. Does anyone know where I can find a NOT prelit artificial tree?
Dec 9, 2008 at 9:53 a.m.
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Even though i agree with you garyprimer, that a real DEAD tree is highly combustible and dangerous, when is the last time you heard that a house started on fire due to a dry tree? It was more dangerous many years ago when people used the big screw in light bulbs that get very hot. As long as the tree is watered daily, there is no problem. Been getting a real tree every year for over 35 years, no problems yet (knock on wood).
Dec 9, 2008 at 9:43 a.m.
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A dry real tree is almost as flammable as gasoline. There is resin in the needles and they are all spaced so that they are surrounded by oxygen. A brown tree will com bust almost instantly
in a mildly explosive manner.
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