Cristmas trees- which is more environmentally friendly- plastic or real?

Question

Is it better for the planet for a family to have one plastic tree that they use untill it breaks or to have a real live christmas tree every year. Is the damage from manufacture and disposal of a plastic tree more or less harmful than to kill one tree a year and then bung it in the compost?

Answer 1

Plastic trees are better for the enviroment. Not only can you save money, you can use a Plastic tree for over 10 years. That'll reduce a lot of carbon dioxide!

Answer 2

Mostly likely a real tree plastic ones a lot of energy resources to make and these resources produce gases such as Carbon monoxide. Yes plastic trees can be used repeatably but often become worn out or dated as fashion change and are then discarded, decomposition of plastic usually takes several decades or 100 of years depending on the plastic used. Whereas real tree can be recycled now, currently some Zoo's in the U.K are using them as Elephant feed. But some councils in the U.K will use discarded trees as compost or use the wood chippings for play grounds. As there may always be a demand for Christmas trees new ones will always be planted to replace the sold trees. It's is mainly the deforestation in Southern Africa, South East Asia and the Amazon (which are not Christmas tree producing (i believe)) which is resulting the green house effect. For us humans the counter act deforestation it is believed that we would all have to own and maintain at least 40 plants each.

Answer 3

That's a really great question. I would say it depends on several factors. First, remember that real trees are farmed, so it's not like they are depleting forests by harvesting trees. I know that's common knowledge, but that's the background to my next point. All of these trees are, at least for some time, adding oxygen to our atmosphere and scrubbing CO2, a greenhouse gas, from the air at the same time. So there's one benefit from the live tree industry. Additionally, if the trees are disposed of properly and become mulch, that carbon gets returned to the environment in a positive way. If they end up in a landfill, not so positive.

Another option is to buy a living tree and plant it after the holiday. I know one couple who bought a small tree and kept it potted, reusing it for 6 years before it got too large to lug inside, then they planted it in their front yard.

Of course, an artificial tree pollutes both during production and when it's disposed of, but if you purchase a quality artificial tree, it could be used for a dozen years (I know I have had one now for 15 years and I've only had to make one simple repair to it and it's still very nice -- in fact a neighbor was shocked when she saw me taking it down because she thought we had a live tree).

So, I guess I didn't give you a definitive answer, but as I said, it depends on several factors. If you purchase a cheap artificial tree and chuck it after a couple of years, the environment would be better off had your purchased harvested trees (or a living tree) each year. On the other hand, if you purchase a harvested tree and chuck it in a dumpster each year (worse if it's coated in tinsel) we'd all be better off had you purchased a quality artificial tree.

In the big picture, a living tree, with a place to plant it after the holiday, is the best way to go.

Answer 4

Tradition usually calls for real. Environmentally I'm not sure how good plastic is. Pine trees don't take long to grow up, I think two years, so it's not a horrible thing cutting them down. Christmas Tree farms keep a supple amount growing to replace the ones they cut down, so it's not such a bad thing. Plastic can be reused. I think either way is no better than the other. It's all personal preference.

Plastic looks as good as the real ones, and it's a lot less to clean up. Not to mention you can get plastic ones in different colors. If you plan on reusing it for a long time then go for it!

Answer 5

A real Christmas tree is the most environmentally friendly. The Norway Spruce [the Christmas Tree] is a crop just like any other and is grown in their millions right here in the UK. The Christmas Tree growers hold a competition each year and the person with the best tree then gets the job of supplying the tree which is then errected outside No.10 Downing Street. The only benefit of owning an artificial tree, as I do, is that I no longer have to bother about buying an Xmas Tree each year. My artificial tree is about 30 years old and as good as new. The oldest artificial tree I saw on TV recently, dates from the 1930s and was made of lavatory brushes sprayed green. Still in use and fab looking too. I plan to be buried with my tree with all it's tinsel etc.

Answer 6

You have two environmentally friendly options:
1. A Christmas tree made of a biodegradable plastic which you can use to make compost once you decide to change to a new one. As you know,they stay evergreen!
2. Use a natural living potted Christmas tree that you can transplant to your garden once it is outgrowing you pot. Remember the bigger the pot (within practical limits) the more times you will enjoy it for Christmas.

I have the natural live potted one and it is pleasing to watch the increasing height each Christmas for the past 6 years. I may use it once more before i will transplant it to my garden.

Answer 7

I would buy a real tree but make sure that it comes from a christmas tree farm and not some forest or woods. If it comes from a tree farm then its okay because these are excessive trees that are continuously being replanted and then returned to the soil when they decompose. plastic trees take up more resources and energy to produce even though families keep them from year to year.

Answer 8

Real of course....they have tree farms specifically for that purpose...for Christmas. Then you can take the tree to a recycle place and they can make mulch out of it for you. All the other real trees that are left over...that's what they do w/them. Once the fake tree breaks...it get's put in the trash. There's no use for a plastic tree....Lots of uses for a real one. Recycle!

Answer 9

erm...i think it is better to have a plastic tree because if you have a real tree then every year you are cutting down a tree and it taking a small amount of our oxygen away. if you get a plastic tree you can recycle it once you are finished. so i think plastic ones are more environmentaly friendly

Answer 10

Neither, probably, but overall a fake tree is better than having one cut down. I am sure that the real tree tradition is contributing to deforestation in Oregon.