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Artificial vs. Real: Which Is the More Eco-Friendly Choice?

Anthony Cuomo • November 25, 2014

The debate has been waging for years: Which type of Christmas tree, artificial or real, is more environmentally friendly? Believe it or not, there’s not a clear-cut choice. If you are wavering back and forth on your decision and want to choose the “green”est option, here is some information to think about:

Biodegradability
This one is fairly obvious: A real tree is biodegradable, while an artificial tree is not. This is particularly true if you don’t bag your real tree in a plastic bag and throw it outside for your waste management company to take away. There are tree-recycling programs that allow Christmas trees to be recycled into mulch or wood chips. If you have wooded property, you could also dispose of it there and allow it to disintegrate naturally.

Use of Resources
This one could go either way. On the one hand, an artificial tree is made from plastic and requires shipping from wherever it originates from, which is most often China. On the other hand, a real tree needs to be replaced every year. If you live in an area of the country where pine trees do not grow naturally, then your tree will need to be trucked in from another state.

Chemicals
You might think that a real tree is introducing fewer chemicals into your home than an artificial tree, but you could be wrong. Unless you are buying your tree from an organic farm, the tree will be sprayed with chemical insecticides. This is actually a good thing. After all, you don’t want a family of spiders to accompany your tree home! On the other hand, an artificial tree is often made of PVC, a type of plastic that contains petroleum and lead, which can be harmful. You can alleviate this concern by buying a new tree that is made out of polyethylene, or PE, but that would require you to dispose of your old PVC tree, which brings you back to the landfill and biodegradability consideration.

So now that you have considered the options, you might have a hard time deciding which type of tree is the most environmentally friendly. There is another option: You could purchase a potted tree to use and decorate in your home through the holidays, then replant it outside. This allows you to enjoy the season without adding a negative impact to the environment. If you decide to go this route, just remember to use natural fertilizers and non-chemical pesticides to keep your tree happily growing and healthy. You could even “decorate” your outside tree with popcorn and cranberry garlands to give the birds and squirrels a sweet treat through the winter.

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