Real vs. Fake: Which is the “greener” choice?
Yes, it is only mid-November, but I am already thinking of how I will decorate my house for Christmas. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a newlywed, because of the house, or because I just like decorating, but I am definitely uber excited for the holidays. Fredric and I decided to get a real tree this year but since we’ve also been “going green” I wondered if a real tree was the most E.C. (environmentally correct) choice.
After perusing the internet, I realized that this is an ongoing debate. And while there is no clear solution, most environmentalists agree that real trees are the better choice, at least from a personal and public health standpoint. Some might make a case for fake trees, because they are re-used every year and thus don’t generate the waste of their real counterparts. But 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. Real Christmas Trees are biodegradable, which means they can be easily reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes.
Fake Christmas Trees and Other Health Problems
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 heed the advice of the label on your fake tree, which tells you to avoid inhaling or eating any dust or parts that may come loose.
The Drawbacks of Real Christmas Trees
The primary downside of real Christmas trees is that, because they are farmed as agricultural products, they often require repeated applications of pesticides over their typical eight-year lifecycles. Therefore, while they are growing–and then again once they are discarded–they may contribute to pollution of local watersheds. Beyond the run-off issue, the sheer numbers of trees that get discarded after every holiday can be a big waste issue for municipalities that aren’t prepared to mulch them for compost.
The Benefits and Care of Live Christmas Trees
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 replan
ted.
According to the EPA, each year after Christmas millions of trees end up in landfills or illegally dumped on public property. The National Christmas Tree Association has ideas for communities for recycling trees: The trunk and branches of Christmas trees can be used as mulch for gardens, parks or in animal stalls. The mulch provides a protective barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need to thrive.
Either way you go, the choice is yours. You could obviously opt to not have a Christmas Tree at all…but that wouldn’t be any fun 
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This is great..so glad I ran across this site... 
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