The debate of the season: which tree should I choose to have the least impact on the environment? Let’s start by addressing some of the big facts off the top: real trees take time, energy, and water to grow, but fake trees also take time, energy, and resources to make. Real trees are good for one season and fake trees can last a lifetime. So, which is truly better?

A note: please don’t stress the waste too much that it ruins the holidays for you. Do what you can, of course, but don’t forget to take time to enjoy the holiday magic with your loved ones.

Here is my personal ranking (based on facts) on best to worst options:

Getting a fake free secondhand tied with using a live, planted Christmas tree
Cutting down a real Christmas tree
Buying a new fake Christmas tree

Let me explain my rankings

Getting a fake tree secondhand

Secondhand shopping is always going to be the best. Bonus points if it’s from a local thrift store and not a chain…here’s why. But why is secondhand shopping so much better? It requires no new resources to create that item you purchase, it keeps that item out of the landfill, and with it being local to you, lessens the shipping impact as well. Plus, it’s usually cheaper and you can find stuff that works just as good as new secondhand. You can learn more about why shopping secondhand is so much better for the planet here.

Try a real tree this year

Trees are great for the environment. A single tree can absorb over one ton of CO2 in its lifetime. In the US alone, over over 350 million real Christmas trees are growing every year and the average tree is harvested after 10 years. But since real Christmas trees are cut down after only 10 years, that’s about 18kg of CO2 sequestered in its much shorter-than-average lifetime depending on the size and species.

But, what happens when the trees get chopped down? The good news is, they will get replaced with saplings next year. Since these farms only grow trees for the tree market, they will always be growing more and more. So, sure, they are a monoculture, but at least they continue to grow trees all year long and replace the ones that were cut. Also, fun fact, Christmas Trees are RARELY pine trees, they’re fir trees! The most common species being Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, Douglas-Fir (which also isn’t really a fir lol), and Noble Fir. The potential danger to monocultures is that it’s not really an ecosystem. Since there is only one type of plant, that can lead to soil degradation and species loss. We see the same thing with corn fields. I’m not saying we should stop planting trees, but I just want to address all sides.

Also not a pine…these are Giant Sequoias!

People often think, myself included prior to this, that cutting down trees is bad, period. But since farmers plant more trees than are cut down, this means more trees are planted and there is more absorbing of CO2 out of the air. It has been proven that using our resources responsibly and carefully can be a great benefit to the resources and help protect forests! For every tree planted, farmers plant 1-3 seedlings.

But, another option here is to cut down your own tree in the forest. A caveat first: don’t do this willy-nilly. If you live near public lands, inquire about this. Many forests allow this during the holidays to help with thinning which can actually help aid forest fire prevention in the coming seasons. It may also be a benefit to other small trees now that there is less competition for resources. Cutting down trees isn’t bad in moderation! It can even HELP the forest.

You also don’t have to chop down a tree. You can get living ones and then plant it outside once the holidays are over! There are some really cool programs in several different countries where you can get a live tree in a pot and they will return it to the nursery year after year. Once it’s “retired” from work as a Christmas tree, it will be planted in the forest! I would say this is tied with getting a fake tree secondhand.

THIS is a pine, but I’m unsure of the species

Real trees do require a lot of water, though, in their early stages of life. But, most tree farms in the US are located in areas where water is not scarce. An extra eco-friendly step to take to is to opt for organic trees. You might not think this is important since you’re not eating it, but it does make a difference since spraying pesticides and herbicides can affect the environment and workers using them. Learn more about the organic certification here.

But, ultimately, the impact of your tree, both real and fake, comes down to how you dispose of it: don’t throw your tree in the landfill! Natural and organic materials cannot be broken down in landfill and end up creating methane which is worse than CO2. Not to mention, our landfills are running out of space. If your city has a compost, use that. If you have an option to recycle it into mulch or wood chips, use that. Most cities have programs for holiday tree pick-up for things like this. Lastly, you can take care of it yourself and use the wood for arts and crafts or even just turn it into firewood. Burning, composting, or wood chipping it reduces it’s carbon footprint by up to 80%.)!

Image from Squarespace, this is a fir, likely a Douglas-Fir from the looks of it

Buying a new fake tree

I had a fake tree growing up and my mom has used the same tree for 20+ years. That’s great, right? Yes, but ultimately, that tree will have to be disposed of one day and the only way to do that is the landfill. Can’t they be recycled? It’s possible but not all that common since it’s mixed materials of mostly metal, electronics, and plastic. But, you can reuse it for years and years and years instead of just a few weeks.

It turns out, a 2-meter tall artificial tree has a carbon footprint of about 48.3kg of greenhouse gases mostly due to it being made of plastic which is just petroleum. That is over double the carbon footprint of a real tree. You would have to reuse your artificial tree at least 10 times, 10 seasons, to keep the environmental impact lower than that of a real tree. So, my mom and her tree are already below that significantly having it for 20+ years. They do last a long time. Be sure to store them properly and be gentle when setting up and dismantling them to help them last.

There was even a study done in 2017 that found that every year, six million trees are discarded...that number includes artificial trees. 14% of people interviewed said they opted for an artificial tree but will be throwing it out after just one use. Please…don’t do that!

Artificial trees are made of polyvinyl chloride, a kind of plastic derived from petroleum and can contain lead or other harmful toxins. Plus, if it’s made overseas, that’s a lot of shipping for it to get to your store. All for the potential for it to be thrown away a month or two later. We should do this with everything, but especially something large like this, think about the time and resources it takes to make that item. Use that to inspire you to take care of it and use it as long as possible.

Our last Christmas in a real house with our fake tree

Which option is best according to you?

I stand by my original rankings:

Getting a fake free secondhand tied with using a live, planted Christmas tree
Cutting down a real Christmas tree
Buying a new fake Christmas tree

Ultimately, avoid buying a new artificial Christmas tree. And if it’s unavoidable for you, take care of it and make it last as long as possible. The absolute worst option here is to buy a brand new fake tree every single year. As long as you make your fake tree last whether you got it secondhand or not, that’s what matters.

Do what works best for you and your family but I hope that this post helps you to make an educated decision for your tree.