Last year, Americans bought nearly 38 million Christmas trees, spending $1.8 billion dollars. Nearly a quarter of these were artificial trees, which now include a number of pre-lit and decorated options.
Real trees get half their mass from carbon, which is taken from Earth’s atmosphere during photosynthesis and accumulated in their wood. Plastic trees are largely composed of a byproduct of non-renewable petroleum.
Real trees are grown in a farm field, preserving a rural economy with minimal impact on the landscape. About 500,000 acres of Christmas trees are being grown in the U.S., providing significant habitat to our nation’s wildlife.
Artificial trees trace their origins to distant oil fields. They require the conversion of oil to plastic, as well as refining, factory assembly, and international shipping.
Nearly all artificial trees are made overseas, with China supplying 85% of our appetite for the ‘forever greens.’ But unless you are one of the hardy few who cut down your own tree—or live in close proximity to a tree farm—chances are good that your real tree also required considerable highway travel. And it must be replaced each year.
Real trees wind up in the local landfill, where they decompose and release stored carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The fate of a plastic tree is likely similar, except less frequent, and its decomposition may take over a thousand years.
The best alternative, if you can swing it, is to buy a live Christmas tree and replant it in the early spring, so it can resume its role removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
Photo, taken on December 14, 2006, courtesy of Carolina Lopez via Flickr.