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by Da Beattie

It’s November and for many that means Christmas! While we Canadians have already had Thanksgiving, there is no reason to wait to start your Christmas cheer!

Like the Halloween and pumpkin debate, there are many pros and cons to disposable versus reusable plastic Christmas trees.

Although real trees are single use, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen and are biodegradable. Although they are cut down, and their emissions released, the Christmas tree industry continues to plant new trees which can offset the carbon emissions.

On the contrary, most fake trees, although re-usable and convenient, are made of PVC, which during production, emits a significant amount of carbon. Fake trees are also normally produced across the ocean and then transported to other countries compared to real trees which are typically grown more locally.

Eventually, upon disposal of a fake tree, many of these plastic trees contain other materials and plastics which make them hard to recycle, thus they end up in landfill. Real trees, as stated previously are biodegradable and can be shredded and composted.

Although it may seem that real trees could be better for the environment, fake trees have many benefits. They are easier to set up and take down. After multiple years of use, they are more economic. They are also able to stay decorated year round and do not have the same branch thickness differences real trees have and therefore they are easier to decorate and can remain in your house for a longer period of time.

Overall, the debate of disposable versus reusable, also known as real or fake trees has many pros and cons. As a Christmas aficionado, I of course, have a mixture of real and fake trees that go up every December 1st.

Source used

Your Christmas Tree’s Carbon Footprint