It's that time of year -- and Shaun and I are planning to go pick out our Christmas tree this weekend sometime. A lot of people seem surprised when they find out we prefer real over fake, considering I'm into the environment and preserving ecosystems. This group of people, as it turns out, may not fully understand what goes into the production of real and fake trees.
Fake trees, while on the surface seem like the best bet, are constructed out of PVC and metal (not too great). This isn't all bad, as they're *supposed* to be used for several years. The problem (for me) stems from when people decide they don't like their fake tree anymore and decide to throw it out. What happens to the tree that once was the centerpiece of a family's holiday tradition when it is thrown out in the garbage? Well, sadly, nothing. It sits there in the ground, buried with everything else. Fake trees also don't have the needle drop and don't require watering and other care like fresh trees do.
Real trees, while much better for the environment (in my honest opinion), don't come without certain precautions, either, but let's discuss the pros of real. Real trees are harvested and grown as commercial crops. Sustainability is at the forefront for most growers, because every tree needs to be replaced the next year for another consumer. Typically, a Christmas tree farmer will plant one to three seedlings to replace every Christmas tree brought the previous season.
Most people recycle their live Christmas trees, as well. Recycled Christmas trees are turned into mulch for playgrounds, parks and other areas. You can also leave a real tree outside after it's spent to create a winter habitat or playground for squirrels and birds. They make great shelters for these creatures, and you can keep decorating them throughout the winter with homemade bird foods and treats for these creatures. An excellent idea for people who don't have a lot of trees in their yard or places of shelter for these animals.
The cons of the real Christmas tree include that many of the "farms" use pesticides and herbicides to make sure their trees look the best and are pest-free when taken into the homes of consumers. Bad news there. More bad news: if you don't live in the proper climate for Christmas trees to grow, chances are you're getting a tree that was shipped in from who-knows-where.
The best option, by far, is to buy a living tree in a pot. Living trees add the beauty, pine smell and character or fresh-cut trees, but also add beauty to your yard when done. They also make great donations to local parks or your favorite local businesses if you don't have space to put a tree in your yard.
Bottom Line:
Choose wisely. A fake tree may be the best bet financially for you, and if you're responsible, the tree can last for many, many years. Shaun and I have discussed getting a 12-foot-tall fake tree to highlight our 17-foot ceilings, but I'm still on the fence. We could buy one now for $200 to $300 and have it for years, or we could buy a tall tree like this every year for anywhere from $150 to over $200 Financially, the fake tree would make sense for us; environmentally, I'm not sure.
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