While it might be a bit late for this season, we should all reconsider the debate over real vs. artificial Christmas trees, wreaths and other decorative greenery. There are lots of good arguments and a lot of passionate feelings about this question, so we will just look here at some of the plusses and minuses for each side of the question.
The arguments for the fake decorations tend to center around safety, longevity and convenience (or, at least, perceived convenience) by the proponents. The argument is that you buy them once, then use them many times over.
Artificial trees are much less flammable than dried-out real ones, but they will burn if the cords are allowed to fray, or lights are not properly maintained. In theory, they will also last as long as you wish. That’s because they are made from plastic — usually a version of PVC or vinyl, both of which have questionable environmental effects in their manufacture (largely the release of chlorine gas and dioxins).
Then, while they last a long time, the artificial trees and ornaments will ultimately fail, and when they are thrown away, they will usually go to landfills, where they don’t decompose. In the event they get incinerated, they also release more bad gasses than real greenery. In the meantime, you do still have to find a place to store them. Some need yearly assembly and disassembly, and you need to get the dust off before you reuse them. That makes them not entirely maintenance-free.
The fake items are also largely made in China, and there are some compelling social, environmental, and health reasons to avoid products made in China. Then we need to add in the intensive carbon emissions associated with manufacturing and shipping the fake decorations.
The danger with the real decorations is that they burn readily when they dry out a bit. Preventing a fire requires a lot of regular attention and careful placement away from heat sources in the house. Any natural evergreen decorations that cannot be watered on a daily basis need to be kept very far from any source of flames, and kept in the house as short a time as we can stand.
After that, it’s all good. The National Christmas Tress Association asserts that an average of between two and three trees are planted by Christmas Tree farms every year for each tree that is harvested. When you consider that between 25 million and 30 million trees are cut every year, the increase is substantial. Arguably, if more people start buying real trees, they will be helping the climate by increasing the net number of trees out there absorbing CO2 and sequestering carbon. Tree farms become carbon sequestration banks that produce oxygen and maintain land that can take up carbon instead of being developed. Tree farms also provide wildlife habitat and sustain the regional economies where they are located. We can even choose live, potted trees and either use them again or plant them in the spring to keep them working longer.
Finally, real trees have a lot of options at the end of their lives. Trees can be mulched at the end of their life (and according to some websites, most are) and reused. They are also collected by many goat farms, where they are fed to the goats, who think they are great treats! Be careful, though, if that’s the route you choose to take, because the goats cannot eat the wire in a wreath or other decoration, nor can they eat tree ornaments.
Ultimately, the consensus among the places I surveyed was a preference for the real greens, with one exception. When our kids were very young, we found they were allergic to the real tree, so we had a fake one for several years, (which did not last as long as the manufacturer had projected). With the children now grown, we’re back to the real thing.
The Recycle Bin is a weekly column on what to recycle, what not to recycle, and why, in Brunswick. The public is encouraged to submit questions by email to brunsrecycleinfo@gmail.com. Harry Hopcroft is a member of the Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee, though his opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the committee.
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