‘The most eco-friendly Christmas tree’ is a big topic these days. I come across news items and blog posts about it every day.
I think part of what should drive the decision about a tree is personal needs, but be aware of the impact of each choice.
Plastic – Is it more convenient to have a plastic tree, despite the environmental considerations? Some people have allergies and cannot put up a cut tree. My mother was the typical convenience-driven, post-war, suburban housewife, so I grew up with a plastic tree. I was disappointed every year that the same decorations went in the same place on the same tree. There was nothing unique and fun about it! I can’t stand plastic, either, but for some, this may be the best choice. But remember… they are made of plastic, releasing toxic emissions into the air during manufacture; they are usually made in China, contributing to the pollution problem there and releasing emissions in shipping; they do not biodegrade, so must end up in a landfill at the end of their life, which could be 1-20 years. Heaven forbid someone burns it when they’re done with it! I did read that!
Farmed – Maybe the only choice is to go to the corner lot, and buy a tree transported 1,000 miles or more from a Christmas tree farm. These trees are also heavily fertilized and sprayed with pesticides. Not very eco-friendly. You can offset the travel and chemical faux pas by putting the tree in your yard as animal habitat. I have a brush pile consisting of Christmas trees as well as trimmings from my fruit trees. Birds, snakes and squirrels love this! You can also offer your tree to a recycling center to be chipped into mulch or chip it yourself. Gather up the trees in the neighborhood, and turn them into mulch for yourself. This is a good reason to not decorate with tinsel!
Cut from the wild – Do you want to make the tree-getting a family affair? Get out in the woods with a permit from the National Forest Service for a day of fresh air, family time and exercise. This thinning is also healthy for the forest. Win/win!
Maybe a local person has gone into the forest and done the thinning for you, selling trees from his truck on the side of the road. This is common where I live and usually who I buy from. I prefer the natural shape of a tree, the lopsidedness caused by growing near other trees. Farm trees have been heavily pruned to Christmas card picture perfection.
Creative – I have had other types of trees over the years. I once had such a tiny apartment in New York, there was no room for a tree. I went outside, cut three foot-long shoots off a pine tree and placed them in a wine carafe with a red ribbon around it. Another year, again in a small place, I made a tree from my immense stash of fabric scraps and hung it on a wall. There was no limit on size with this one, and it was the ultimate Christmas recycling project!
You can’t always do the most eco-friendly thing, but in satisfying your needs, at least be aware of the impact you have. If you become aware and can lessen that impact, you can make a difference.
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I had for years a six foot manzanita branch that I used as a Christmas tree. White lights, brass ornaments and glass icicles … stunning effect!
While I did move that branch from CA to ID, it didn’t make the cut in the move from ID to CO (one of the largest U-Haul trucks plus a stuffed-to-the-vents-with-greenhouse-equipment-trailer… and to think we sold the Sun Valley greenhouse, too… oy vey… ) Anyway, now I have a small faux forest of silk redwoods ranging in height from 3 to 5 feet. Love it.
BTW, all that offered as further suggestion on how one can have a lovely holiday display and a healthy planet too. :D
At the flea market, we had a big branch in a gallon coffee can filled with sand as a display for ornaments. It doubled as an earring and necklace display in summer. :)
I love the manzanita branch! Sounds stunning…….
You can also buy a live tree. It’s probably not going to be organic…at least until you get it but if you put it in your yard the rest of the year and care for it, you can use it year after year…at least until it gets too big for a pot or to heavy to carry. Then you can plant it in your yard.
Excellent, Danika! I can’t believe I left that out! lol People do keep them in pots all year and for many years, but the best think to do is take it right back out after Christmas, keep it in the shade, water it, and plant it in the spring. Here in NM, local guys dig up the smaller ones and b&b them. I haven’t had much luck with them, because I don’t think they are handled right in the beginning, lowering their survival rate.