Which is the more eco friendly Christmas tree? Real or Artificial? [Week 34]
As the holidays near, you may be antsy to put up your decorations. But which is a more eco friendly Christmas tree? Real or fake? The answer isn’t really black and white.
Amanda Drews
I’ll just cut to the chase here. There are so many factors when it comes to whether a real Christmas tree or a fake one is going to be more environmentally friendly. I will give you some factors to consider and facts from studies that have been done. But in the end, you’re going to have to decide which type of Christmas tree is right for your home.
Factors to consider when deciding if you should get a natural or artificial Christmas tree
Species of real tree and impacts on land
In the United State, the species of tree most commonly used for Christmas trees is the Fraser fir (Nix, 2010). If you order some specially shipped in exotic or endangered species, it’s safe to argue that that would be frowned upon. The Nature Conservancy advocates for using real trees. This is for both the habitat it creates for wildlife and the carbon sequestering potential. If evergreen trees aren’t common in the area you live, you can always opt for a palm tree, cactus, or whatever else grows around you! If you’re looking for something totally different, check out Pinterest and search “Christmas tree alternative ideas”. There’s lots of cool ideas on there, especially for small spaces.
If you can find an organic tree farm, opt for that one or one that uses sustainable practices.
Materials and energy costs used to make a fake tree
When buying an artificial tree, consider the energy that goes into obtaining and processing the petroleum to make those parts. How much is the factory making the tree contributing to climate change, acidification, eutrophication and smog?
Health hazards for real trees
Allergies can be a big barrier to buying a natural Christmas tree. You also would have to consider the potential for your tree to bring in mold. Or chemicals if it’s not from an organic farm. Natural Baby Mama has a list HERE of organic Christmas tree farms by state.
Although there aren’t any listings for certified Minnesota tree growers, one that is near the Twin Cities area is Krueger’s Christmas Trees in Lake Elmo. They mention that they take trees back after the holidays for recycling. They use that mulch for their growing trees to reduce the need for added chemicals and irrigation. The also use cover crops and crop rotation to decrease the need for fertilizers.
Health hazards for artificial trees
It sounds like there is still much debate as to whether or not a fake tree can be hazardous to your health. Menshealth.com cautions against using a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) made tree because of potential lead and phthalate exposure and the VOCs emitted. Let’s also consider the health of the people that are making the product as well!
A study done with PVC trees testing for lead content in branches and exposure through dust levels underneath the tree and hand contact with the tree, concluded that “while the average artificial Christmas tree does not present a significant exposure risk, in the worst-case scenarios a substantial health risk to young children is quite possible.” (Maas, et al, 2004) So if you do have one of these trees, do NOT let your kids play with it. You’ll probably be fine but there’s a potential for lead exposure.
“…while the average artificial Christmas tree does not present a significant exposure risk, in the worst-case scenarios a substantial health risk to young children is quite possible.”
Mass, et al, 2004
They recommend looking for a polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) tree that is PVC free. Or if you do buy a PVC tree, to limit it’s use to under 9 years and to let it air outside for a few days before setting it up indoors. Avoid trees that contain fire retardants.
There are companies that sell recycled PVC trees but are made with tin as a stabilizer instead of lead. They claim that they are non-toxic. Although PVC trees may claim to be 100% non-toxic, there may still be a small amount of PVC built into some of them and they are able to round up according to ireadlabelsforyou.com. They recommend that with whichever tree you choose, using an air purifier next to your tree can help with air quality.
Energy costs to transport a real tree
Transport is a huge part of the carbon footprint of getting a natural tree. Consider how far away your tree is coming from. What type of vehicle are you taking to pick it up with and what kind of emissions are associated with that vehicle? Could you car pool with another family in the neighborhood who is also looking for a tree? Remember that if you are getting a real tree every year, those trips add up. A real tree that you pick up 100 miles away in your truck is not an eco friendly Christmas tree!
If you’re picking up a fresh cut tree, what are energy costs associated with the farmer cutting and hauling them to wherever you are purchasing it from?
Energy costs to ship a fake tree
A typical artificial tree bought in the US comes from China (according to the PE Americas study below). Those trees have a long journey from their factory, across the ocean and then across the country.
Length of time used
The average North American home keeps their fake Christmas trees for 6 years (Couillard, Bage, and Trudel, 2009). A natural tree will always only last you a season, unless you have it potted and cared for throughout the year. If you choose to get an artificial tree, try to find a used one first. Use it for as long as you can. If your tree is still useable once you’re done with it, sell or give it away instead of just tossing it. If you have to dispose of it, can you use any of the branches to make wreaths or other decorations first?
However, with PVC trees, it may be better for the next person if they are sent to the landfill if there’s a possibility that there are harmful chemicals in your fake tree.
There are companies that rent out Christmas trees from year to year as well. I’ve never seen a life cycle analysis for these.
End-of-life treatment
Will your fake tree be passed along or contribute to a growing landfill? Will your real tree end up in a landfill and if so, does that landfill capture methane for electricity recovery or will it just contribute to global warming as it decomposes and releases methane?
Cool Green Science from Nature.org has a list of some interesting programs that reuse Christmas trees to do things like improve fish habitat, restore coastal dunes and restore streambanks. The Arbor Day Foundation also has some recommendations HERE as they promote the use of natural trees for the holidays.
Watering needs
Do you live in an area where there are watering restrictions in place or do you readily have access to water to keep your tree alive? A fake tree won’t need any water but according to the National Christmas Tree Association, a real tree will need “1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter”. And that real tree doesn’t just require water once it’s at your home. It will need it for years of growing before it’s cut and sold. Are those farmed trees getting water naturally or being watered? Does the farm use mulch for water retention to decrease the need for added water?
Don’t forget that plastic production will also include a lot of water use though. And that’s not within a natural system.
Packaging
A real tree may require a tree bag or netting for transport home. A fake tree will likely come in shrink wrap inside a cardboard box. How will the packaging materials be disposed of after they are used? Make sure you are recycling your plastics correctly!
Cost
Not gonna lie, a real tree at a farm can be expensive. And if you go and choose it with your younger kids and they end up having their little heart set on one of the tiny ones out in the field but you’re still going to get charge the same as if you whacked down the 8 foot version, you may be kicking yourself (true story). Once you factor in fuel for getting to the tree farm, it could get expensive quite quickly (depending on what you drive).
In comparison, a fake tree is usually a little more money down but then costs nothing in subsequent years. The price of an artificial tree of course can vary, but when you consider the monetary costs of a real tree year after year, it can really add up.
Who is profiting?
Do you want a local farmer and their family to benefit from your purchase and have that money stay in your community? Or a big box store who buys their product from a large factory overseas that (likely) aren’t paying fair wages to their workers? Who do you want your money to go to?
Experience
Let’s face it, there’s a big difference between unboxing a fake Christmas tree and going out to a farm (or even just a local gardening center) and picking out a tree. Many families use picking out a Christmas tree as a family tradition. And if you’re going somewhere that may have weekend events like hay rides, hot apple cider and maybe even (gasp!) Santa?! Forget about it, no contest.
Personal preferences
Here’s the thing about practical eco-friendly living, it has to work for you. If you’re extremely allergic to real trees but insist that’s going to be the greenest choice for your family, are you going to be happy? Nope. Maybe you don’t have the storage space to store a fake tree so you opt for a real one. Great! If you live super far away from the nearest place you can buy a fresh cut tree, don’t have a vehicle to transport one in or maybe you just like the convenience of having an artificial tree, go for that one. You know what’s best for you.
Once you choose which kind of tree you put up for the holidays, there are some things you can do to make it the most eco friendly Christmas tree it can be! Let’s take a look at some studies and their conclusions.
Study #1
This study comes out of Ellipsos in Montreal Canada. They assumed the natural tree was harvested locally and the artificial tree was manufactured in China and then shipped by boat and then train. “It was concluded that the natural tree is a better option than the artificial tree, particularly in terms of impacts on climate change and resource depletion.” However the natural tree was found to have important impacts on ecosystem quality.
“It was concluded that the natural tree is a better option than the artificial tree, particularly in terms of impacts on climate change and resource depletion. However, the natural tree was found to have important impacts on ecosystem quality.”
Couillard, Bage, and Trudel, 2009
They also said that for those who prefer fake trees, extending the time you keep one to 20 years would even things up. (in light of info from above, this would preferable be best for a PVC free tree)
Couillard, S, Bage, G, and Trudel, J S. Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of artificial vs natural Christmas tree. Canada: N. p., 2009. Web.
Study #2
This is actually a fun study (ok, well I think it’s fun!) to read for anyone that wants an in-depth look at how a Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) is done. It gives great graphics detailing considerations from manufacturing and cultivation of each type of tree to the end-of-life. Even down to energy costs for pesticide and fertilizer use or tree stand production. It comes from the American Christmas Tree Association through thinkstep AG.
They found with artificial trees, the most significant impact they have is in their manufacturing process of the branches. With natural trees, the largest impacts lay in the distance traveled to obtain the tree and how the tree is disposed of at the end of it’s life. Basically, if you are able to re-use any of the material from your tree as other decoration or mulch, before it’s thrown or decomposes, that will be the best eco-friendly path.
The impact of the tree life cycle, for all scenarios, is less than 0.1% of a person’s annual carbon footprint and therefore is negligible within the context of the average American’s lifestyle.
PE Americas, 2010
Overall, they add in at the end that “The impact of the tree life cycle, for all scenarios, is less than 0.1% of a person’s
annual carbon footprint and therefore is negligible within the context of the average American’s lifestyle.” So if you are fretting over the choice you’ve made for your Christmas tree, stop. Living a more eco-friendly life shouldn’t leave you feeling guilty. Celebrate when you can make environmentally friendly choices, don’t feel terrible when you can’t do it perfectly.
PE Americas. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of an Artificial Christmas Tree and a Natural Christmas Tree for American Christmas Tree Association. 2010.
What options do I have for a healthier fake tree I can order online?
Oncor makes a line of recycled PVC trees made with tin as a stabilizer instead of lead. They do mention that they are flame retardant.
Check out their online store HERE.
Balsam Hill offers trees with 64-70% PE “true needle” and 30-36% PVC needles in their Most Realistic collection.
Check out their full online store HERE.
This one from Balsam Hill is made out of cotton.
I have heard Ikea makes their artificial Christmas trees from materials other than PVC. Check out their website around the holidays to see options.
What does my family do for an eco friendly Christmas tree?
We are on team natural Christmas tree. It has always been a tradition that I go out with my dad to go pick out the season’s tree. Even as an adult, the couple times he’s gone without me because it was getting close to Christmas and our schedules weren’t aligning, I was slightly offended. OK not really offended, but it did make me sad I couldn’t go with. We probably over analyze every single tree we see but that’s just part of the tradition.
Kelly and I have always gotten smaller, Charlie Brown Christmas style trees. We do a complete 180 from what my dad and I do and often pick out the ugliest tree in the lot that we think no one else will want. We’ve even had vendors just give us trees before! 2021 is the first year we went out to a farm and cut down our own tree. It overall was a fun experience. We even saw a little mouse hopping in between the branches of one! We went on a weekday because it was nice outside and the kids were off of school but I would like to make this a tradition in the future and go on the weekends when they have events….and mini donuts.
Happy Holidays!
- Decide as a family what type of Christmas tree and experience you would like to have. Take all the factors into account and try to choose your most eco-friendly option but also keep it practical
- When you are done with your tree, search for ways to recycle it (for real trees) or extend it’s life (for fake ones).
References
Couillard, S, Bage, G, and Trudel, J S. Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of artificial vs natural Christmas tree. Canada: N. p., 2009. Web.
PE Americas. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of an Artificial Christmas Tree and a Natural Christmas Tree for American Christmas Tree Association. 2010.
Nix, Steve. (2010). Top Ten Christmas Trees. About.com Website:
http://forestry.about.com/cs/christmastrees1/a/top10_xmastree.htm
Full report HERE.
Maas, Richard P., et al. “Artificial Christmas trees: how real are the lead exposure risks?” Journal of Environmental Health, vol. 67, no. 5, Dec. 2004, pp. 20+. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A126076381/HRCA?u=anon~12c93a8&sid=googleScholar&xid=c235eccd. Accessed 7 Dec. 2021.
