Sustainability: the Christmas Tree debate

The ‘real vs fake’ Christmas tree debate hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, with different groups coming out in favour of one side or the other, which has made writing this article very hard. We went out and bought a 6-foot fake tree from the reduced section 5 years ago now, confident that we were 100% making the right decision for the environment. However, I’m not so sure we’d make the same decision again now (but as we already have it the most environmentally friendly and sustainable thing we can do is to keep using it).

There are many positives to a real tree; the fun of choosing it as a family, the lovely smell it gives the room it’s in and the fact that it can be composted at the end of its cycle.

Positives to buying a fake tree are that they work out much cheaper in the long run, there isn’t any needle mess or maintenance needed and they are often created to be fire-resistant, making them a much safer option.

When I went out and confidently bought our fake tree I was thinking of the carbon created by cutting down a tree (and not just mine but all of the trees that are cut down for the festive period), and the fact that it then went into landfill at the end of its life. What I didn’t take into account was that fake trees are made from plastic, which is created by oil. This is the biggest part of their environmental footprint. Also, the trees are then often shipped long distances before getting to the shops where we buy them.

So, how long do I need to use my fake tree before it is more environmentally than buying a real one? Well, this depends on what sources you use, as well as what type of real tree you choose!

According to a life cycle assessment of the comparative environmental impacts of both real and fake Christmas trees, the WAP Sustainability Consulting company concluded that “one real Christmas tree generates fewer environmental impacts than one artificial tree.” It then goes on to say that if a customer keeps the tree for 5 years or longer then the fake tree has a smaller overall negative impact.

The Carbon Trust however found that based on their research a 6.5-foot artificial tree has a carbon footprint equivalent to about 40kg of greenhouse gas emissions – which is more than twice that of a real tree that ends its life in landfill and more than 10 times that of a real tree which is burnt.

So, based on the Carbon Trust’s findings, we will need to use our tree for at least another five years before we have made the right decision, but even still, once our tree is out of use, it can’t be naturally reused or recycled.

With more and more Christmas trees being grown in the UK, meaning there isn’t a huge impact through travel (as opposed to fake trees, most of which are made in China), if I had to make the decision again I would choose to buy a real British grown tree every year and then once we are done with it we could use it for fire wood for our log burner.

When buying a real tree, Friends of the Earth advise looking for one that is locally produced or at least grown in the UK with a FSC certification to avoid emissions from transporting and importing, so I would bear this in mind also. But, as we already have our fake tree in the attic, we will continue to use that for as long as we can.

I hope this little breakdown of facts was helpful to you if you are in the position of trying to make a decision.

Tinsel and Trees,

Livvy and Summer