Real vs. Artificial Christmas Tree

If you celebrate Christmas, then you've probably had a Christmas tree before. However, if you celebrate Christmas while also trying to stay low waste, then you probably debated between a real tree or an artificial tree. I, myself, grew up using the same artificial tree each year. I think my parents had only ever replaced it once, that I know of (which is great, when you reuse an artificial tree that many times). However, my husband had always grown up having real Christmas trees. This is a tradition we decided to adopt into our own new family (although, we debated for a while and almost left Home Depot with a brand new artificial tree the other day). Which left me wondering about what was actually more sustainable or beneficial. *Cue me writing and researching for this article.*

My final answer was: IT DEPENDS.

My outlook used to be, "Well, why chop down a tree when you don't need to?" Then I learned that Christmas trees are just like other crops. Crops like carrots or corn, which are grown and then cultivated for use or consumption. The trees themselves are usually grown on marginal land that has little agricultural value. 

Real trees have both advantages and disadvantages. They help make your home smell like Christmas. The smell is one of my favorite things, since I missed out on that in my own childhood. Picking out a tree can also become a great family tradition each year. You can sip on hot cocoa while searching for "that perfect tree." Each year, you also end up with a different looking tree, unique with its own character. Another plus is that real trees are biodegradable. However, just because they are, don't just dump your tree in the dumpster. Trees sitting and breaking down in the landfill still releases greenhouse gases. If you purchase a fresh tree, research where you can Treecylce near you. Treecycling allows the trees to be turned into mulch or compost. Luckily, there are more than 4,000 Christmas Treecycling programs around the U.S., so they're easy to recycle. 

Although, there are also disadvantages to real trees. One being their high maintenance. They need to be watered continuously, and will drop needles on the ground (which are toxic for household pets). Some individuals can also be allergic to the trees. They are generally more expensive, and are a yearly expense to consider. It's said that a live Christmas tree every year comes out to three times the cost of a single artificial tree which can last a decade or more.

But what happens to live Christmas trees that aren't sold? They are typically chopped up and fed to plants and animals. Commercially, they also become wood chips which are then turned into mulch. 

Now, let's look at the flip side. Artificial trees are more affordable since you can invest once and then reuse it each year. They're convenient, won't scatter pine needles, and don't need to be watered. However, the disadvantage to an artificial tree is that they are made from PVC plastic and steel, and are typically shipped to the U.S. from China. (Try to find a domestic tree, made in the USA, to lessen the carbon footprint). PVC is petroleum-based and non-biodegradable, so if you toss it, it will be in the landfill forever. Since the plastic fibers are glued to the metal frame, these trees also can't be recycled. Some researchers believe that older models could also be harboring lead which can spread into the home, and PVC plastics can release dioxins over time. Artificial trees are also highly flammable, so be careful with open flames! 

But please don't be discouraged if you have an artificial tree, because you can reuse your tree enough for it to be considered environmentally friendly. The question is, how many years should you reuse it in order for it to be a better choice? LA Times presented a study which compared the break-even point for how many years you should use an artificial tree to even out the environmental impact.

The conservative estimate would recommend using an artificial tree for nine years, making it a better choice than buying a real tree each year. However, William Paddock, who oversaw the study, said six years is a more reasonable guess. All in all, I would still recommend buying a domestically manufactured and non-PVC option. 

So, what does that mean for you?

Whether you buy a real tree or an artificial tree, the point of this time of the year is to ultimately enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. This was a really interesting article for me to write, but I still think either version of a Christmas tree is a great option. It's your choice to make for yourself. If you choose a real tree, have fun and please remember to Treecylce it! If you choose an artificial tree, make sure you love it so that you can reuse it for many many years! At the end of the day, choose what's best for you and your family, not only financially, but also what suits your specific household (for example, we have a tiny tree and have to keep it on a table to protect our curious puppy). Have fun with it, and remember to just enjoy this time!

Sources (links to the articles): LA Times , MoneyCrashers , LA Times , USA Today , Greener Ideal