Christmas trees are an integral part of the holiday tradition. In the UK alone, approximately 8 million real Christmas trees are sold each year. However as attention shifts to the growing climate crisis, many are wondering whether buying a real tree each year is more sustainable than buying an artificial tree that will last for many years.

 

Artificial trees are commonly thought to be more environmentally friendly, however this is not always the case. According to the Carbon Trust, a 6.5ft artificial tree is responsible for about 40kg of greenhouse gas emissions. This means that in order to offset the environmental impacts of purchasing one, and to keep its environmental impact lower than buying a real tree each year, the artificial tree needs to be reused for about 10 years. Like Year 10 student Lara Kerr said, 'We have had the same artificial tree since my mum was a child.' Around two-thirds of an artificial tree’s carbon footprint is the plastic it is made from. Pre-owned trees or ones made out of recycled materials can be good alternatives.

 

Aside from the joy that they bring to the festive season, real Christmas trees can actually be more environmentally friendly than artificial ones. However, this is completely dependent on how you dispose of it. The way in which you dispose of a real tree is both economically and environmentally significant. If it ends up in a landfill, according to the Local Government Association's calculations, each tree costs the local authority around £2.32 fees and landfill taxes. The environmental impacts of disposing a tree at landfill sites are worsened due to the methane and carbon dioxide released. Both greenhouse gases are extremely harmful to the environment. The Carbon Trust states that if a two-metre tree is recycled instead of disposed of in a landfill, it will reduce your carbon footprint by 80%. The best outcome for used real Christmas trees is if they are recycled by being turned into wood chippings or compost. The second most environmentally impactful factor when buying a real tree is where it was grown and how it came to your house. In recent years, the supply of domestically grown Christmas trees has increased, reducing the number of imports from large Christmas tree producing countries such as Denmark. Buying a locally grown Christmas tree is not only better for the reducing our carbon footprint, but also supports the local buisness community.

 

To continue the tradition of having a real tree every Christmas, numerous local councils have Christmas tree collection schemes, including Merton Council. Merton Council offers free Christmas tree collection, with the trees being chipped in Morden Park and the chippings used as a mulch to spread on the flower beds in the borough's parks. This helps to minimise the environmental impact of having a real Christmas tree, while still enjoying the tradition. Overall, artificial trees are environmentally friendly if they are used for more than 10 years. Real Christmas trees can be made more sustainable from an environmental perspective, as long as they are properly recycled and are replanted at the same rate as they are cut down. An even more sustainable option is to have a potted living Christmas tree that can be used annually without having to be disposed of.