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Pros and Cons of Buying a Real Christmas Tree

Below are some of the pros and cons of buying a real Christmas tree, versus an artificial Christmas tree.

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Read the latest news in this debate on The Guardian. 

 

Real Christmas Trees

 

Pros:

  • Nothing can beat the smell of a real tree

  • Picking out a real tree is an experience the whole family can enjoy

  • 1 acre of Christmas trees provides enough oxygen for 18 people every day

  • Supports small tree farms in the USA

  • Environmentally friendly and recyclable (Learn how to recycle your tree at Earth911.org)

  • Guilt-free - the demand for growing more Christmas trees each year is actually good for the environment

  • Christmas trees are able to grow on soil that is unfit for other crops

  • Out of 33 million sold, 93% of Christmas trees are recycled through over 4000 programs that are offered

  • Just one Christmas tree can absorb 1 ton of CO2 during its lifetime and with over 350 million trees growing at any one time, you can imagine the benefits

  • According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Christmas trees  support the economy by helping employ 100,000 people

  • Only 1/4 of an ounce of pesticides are used on a non-organic tree during its lifetime

  • Sustainable farming techniques provide a healthy supply of Christmas Trees

  • At tree farms, when a tree is cut down, it is immediately replaced with another

 

Cons:

  • Needles can cause a mess

  • Trees can carry allergens

  • Use of pesticides at farms that are not organic

  • Depending on where you live, trees may be transported for hundreds of miles

  • They can be a burden, bringing them to your home

 

 

Artificial Trees

 

Pros:

  • Can save you money over time

  • Last an average of 7-9 years

  • Watering is not necessary and no needle mess

  • Some are easy to set up

 

Cons:

  • 85% of artificial trees are made in China 

  • Transporting these trees overseas consumes oil and fuel and releases carbon emissions 

  • They are made with harmful chemicals including metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-biodegradable, petroleum-derived plastic, which when manufactured produces carcinogens like dioxin, ethylene dichloride, and vinyl chloride This type of pollution is a leading cause of cancer. Older trees may also contain lead

  • After disposing of an artificial tree, it will lay in landfills for centuries

 

 

Real Christmas Trees are a clear winner!

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A real tree may be inconvenient to some individuals but it is a U.S.-based product that is carbon-neutral which does not harm the environment.

 

Sources: NCTA National Christmas Tree Association and Earth911.org

 

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