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Some consumers are drawn to artificial trees as the more environmentally sane choice, pointing to the efficiency of reusing the same tree for many years rather than cutting down a new evergreen each holiday. But cutting trees off the land is not necessarily a slap in the face to Mother Nature. And many argue it’s the more environmentally conscious way to show your Christmas cheer.
“The trees are grown in areas where it’s okay to harvest them,” says Greg Hann, referring to the way Hann’s Christmas Farm in Oregon manages its property. Each year when trees are cut down, they are replaced with new seedlings. Because the average growing time before harvest is 10 years, animals can establish homes in them. And real trees add pure, clean oxygen back into the environment as they’re growing.
Today 85% of artificial trees are manufactured in China, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, with transportation to North America adding to their carbon footprint. They’re often made with materials like PVC — polyvinyl chloride, a substance boycotted by most environmental groups.
And when artificial trees start to look dated or shabby, they are difficult to recycle. Bryan Johnson of Madison’s streets division says the metal “trunk” and branches can be recycled, if the homeowner strips all the plastic off of them and brings them to the east- or west-side recycling centers. “It’s possible,” says Johnson. “Realistically, most people will not break it down.” Aluminum trees can be recycled just like an aluminum can, but if you have a vintage model, you are better off selling it to an antiques dealer.
There are several ways real trees can be reused. Your neighborhood most likely has curbside recycling of trees; they are dragged into the chipper to have a new life as mulch. In recent years, Christmas trees have been submerged underwater by the Department of Natural Resources to create fish habitats and mating grounds.
Hann has also had customers move their tree to the backyard after the holidays, turning it once again into a safe winter habitat for small animals. “It’s a nice lawn decoration for the rest of the winter,” he says. You can spread it with peanut butter and birdseed to feed the critters.
Buying a real tree also benefits our local economy. Wisconsin is fifth in the nation for Christmas tree production. Hann has 65 employees during the holidays, and he notes these employees turn around and spend those wages locally on holiday expenses — in several ways, it’s another gift under the tree.
