We have used fake Christmas trees over the years, thinking it was better for the environment and also didn't but into a throw away mentality. Now I am wondering if this a good decision since trees decompose fairly quickly and when it it is time to get a new fake tree the old one will take forever to break down in a landfill.
What is your opinion on this? Thanks...
I think with the new artificial trees, they are so much better (quality wise) than the old, so last much longer. I'm going with artificial.
Have always loved the idea behind preservation.
That's a good question, I used to be really anti "real" christmas tree but then a friend pointed out that they are grown as a crop like anything else. What's worse the energy and plastics used to create a fake tree or the land use used while growing real ones? Yet they sequester carbon while growing.... It's a tough question! If I ever had my own place I think I would grow an evergreen in my front yard and decorate it outside every year =) (with strung popcorn and nuts for the birds and squirrels of course!)
I cut down a Christmas tree from my yard each year we have one, when we're done with it, it becomes firewood or building materials. And in a few years another one has grown back.
I can't imagine a manufactured product being "better" environmentally.
The plastic one will never break down in the landfill.
The real one is carbon neutral and not deforesting. Fake Christmas trees are not carbon neutral. Christmas trees are farmed.
And real is much nicer.
Not voting for one side or the other, but don't forget that real trees are shipped long distances each year (in refrigerated rail cars and/or trucks, or with lots of ice), so that adds to their environmental impact. If everyone could get a local tree, like bae's example, then the choice is clearer. But, instead it's not black and white (like most modern decisions).
I am curious, but admit I don't know is anything about amounts of water and pesticide use at tree farms. That would also have to be factored in to get the real environmental impact.
I don't put up a tree, real or fake, so this is all a moot point for me personally. But, I am a treehugger () so it's interesting.
Kara
When one looks 'cradle-to-grave' however, the picture is not quite so clear. Most people do not have a tree on their property that they can cut down and decorate; nor do they have the room to let it return to the earth. While some people can burn the "used" tree in a fireplace, I was under the impression that one was not supposed to burn pine because of the resins. So the tree must be logged and imported from wherever they grow (primarily northern climes) and hauled away after the holiday. All of which takes fuel and all of which is duplicated every year you buy a real tree. We're not talking tons of fuel or many thousands of miles for most people, but it is a consideration in a total lifecycle.
Our artificial tree actually is my parents' from about 35 years ago. For that matter, so are the lights (mini-bulbs). At this point, it sheds branchlets just like a real tree.And once the ornaments are on it, it's hard to tell it's a fake. I know that is unusual for a fake tree. But it's worked for us. Just pointing out an aspect of the discussion that hasn't yet been covered.
[EDIT: I see Kara already covered some of these points while I was writing...]
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
You can burn pine and fir just fine. You just need to properly season it, burn it at the correct temperature, and keep your chimney cleaned and in good repair. I burn almost entirely such woods, and have had no problems.Originally Posted by SteveinMN
Whew! I'm not invisible after all!
Oh that Billy Barebutt were still here. He would say as the owner of a tree farm: buy the real tree. It employs local people among other advantages. That is--try to buy one from the local guys who grow them. If you go to a tree farm to cut your own, you know where it came from.
Other than cutting one locally, I wouldn't side one way or the other. I have a couple o fake trees but seldom put one up. Since the fashion changes on these, I'd not want one to last for 40 years.
The real ones are much more expensive in the long run. That is not a bad thing, I'm just sayin'.
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