How sustainable is your Christmas Tree?
This article originally appeared on One Tree Planted and was reproduced with permission. Feature boy: @thomasallen6
Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree…
It Might Not Be as Bad as You Think
Of course there are also unsustainable farms, or trees cut from primary forests rather than farms, and that’s not good. This is where you can be a conscientious consumer. If you really want a tree in your house, find a local tree farm where you can see exactly where the trees are grown and ask the owner how they manage their operations. This is better than buying a plastic tree when you weigh the various pros and cons of carbon emissions and waste.
What About Artificial Trees? Are They More Sustainable?
A 5 foot Christmas tree made from plastic can have a carbon footprint up to 88 pounds of CO2. That is more than 10 times the amount of disposing a real Christmas tree. So to be sure that your artificial tree is sustainable you need to plan on having it for at least 10 years as a replacement for real trees in order for it to have a lower environmental impact than a responsibly disposed natural tree. Hopefully it is built to last, as a lot of plastic products are not.
The Most Sustainable Choice
The “get one, plant one” approach is also very popular if you want to take an extra step for sustainability. If you bring home a tree, plant one or more with us to benefit nature. You’ll even get a festive tree certificate. Take it a step further and plant trees for the whole family!
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One Tree Planted
One Tree Planted is an environmental charity, dedicated to making it easier for individuals and businesses to give back to the environment, create a healthier climate, protect biodiversity and help reforestation efforts around the world. All by planting trees!