Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Real or Fake Christmas tree?

Its Christmas and lot of people do buy a Christmas tree. There is always a debate whether to get a real one or a fake one. I got this on my company email list and felt it’s worth sharing.

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If you use a Christmas tree each year, you may wonder whether a real or fake tree is a better option. From an environmental perspective, the answer may surprise you. But we also want to consider the financial and health aspects too.

Show me the money - The fake tree usually wins the economic argument, as long as you use it for several years. Most real trees cost less than $100 for one use, while fake trees usually cost $200-500 for many uses.

The greener choice - While chopping down a living tree may seem “un-green,” it’s actually the more sustainable choice when you consider what the tree is made of and what it does to the environment when created and disposed. Fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (or PVC, otherwise known as vinyl), one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic. 85% are shipped from China, so you have lots of transportation emissions, and more than likely pollution from coal power plants. On the other hand, real trees absorb CO2 during their life, are usually replaced with a new tree, and can be recycled / composted after the holidays.  

It’s worth noting that the most eco-friendly way to enjoy a Christmas tree is to buy a live tree with its roots intact from a local grower, and then replant it in your yard once the holiday has passed. However, since trees are dormant in the winter, live trees should spend no more than a week indoors lest they “wake up” and begin to grow again in the warmth of your home. If this happens there is a good chance the tree will not survive once it is returned to the cold winter outdoors and replanted.

It’s NOT healthy to hug a fake tree  - In addition to PVC, fake trees contain lead and other additives designed to make the otherwise rigid PVC more malleable. Unfortunately many of these additives have been linked to liver, kidney, neurological and reproductive system damage in lab studies on animals. The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition warns that fake trees “may shed lead-laced dust, which may cover branches or shower gifts and the floor below the tree.” So if you have or get a fake tree, check if there’s a label telling you to avoid inhaling or eating any dust or parts that may come loose.

Lastly, fake trees don’t have the real pine smell, and if yours does I would be suspicious. ;-)

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Call to Action – If you buy a Christmas tree, get a real one from a local farmer and have it composted or mulched afterwards. Click here for more ideas -  5 Ways to Green your Christmas Tree.

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3 comments:

selva said...

If you take a "Life cycle assessment" of a real one-time-use trees then,
It takes about 8 years to grow a tree typically used during Christmas, so it takes 8 years worth of water, fertilizer and insecticides...
The most eco-friendly way to enjoy a Christmas tree is to buy a live tree with its roots intact,and then replant it in your yard once the holiday has passed :-)

Poornima said...

Thanx guys, appreciate your views on this. Really worth and thought provoking :-)

Ganesh said...

Wow, this is useful info :)

Would have never known.