Fish Like a GIRL

When I was a kid, of course we had a real Christmas tree. I don’t think I was even aware there were such things as artificial trees. There might have been a fake palm tree in the doctor’s office waiting room or something, but the notion of a fake Christmas tree, to me, was pretty foreign. Fast forward a couple of decades in a house with two dogs, and an artificial tree makes sense. For years my late husband Rod and I had a smaller artificial tree. During the holidays, we would clear off the “fishing table” that sat near the kitchen, and I would put the tree up there, surrounded by my ever growing Christmas village. It made sense to me at that point, because it was in a place where the dogs could not get to it, making the season much less hectic.

Now, though, I have gone back to a real Christmas tree. One reason is that Chet likes real trees. He always had one growing up, too, and believes it’s must for the season. I happily agreed and for the last two years we have procured our tree from a local grower here. It is interesting to me that even people who are against logging any trees (ever) are still OK with having a real Christmas tree in their home. To me, it seemed as though that would be a more sustainable option, so I did some checking around. One website I found, One Tree Planted, talked about just that. Which is more sustainable?

Obviously, artificial trees can be used year after year. On the surface, that may make them seem like a better idea from an environmental standpoint. However, it is not that cut and dried (pun intended).

A CNN story from 2018 said that if a tree is only used for six years, which is the average life span for most people, the carbon costs are “definitely greater” than would be the case with a natural tree. 

However, if an artificial tree is used for 20 years that tips the scale the other way. 

It makes sense. 

One Tree Planted also said artificial trees can have a downside. They are made of plastic and metal, which take a good deal of resources to create. They can wind up in landfills or polluting oceans, and in both places the plastic components could stay for thousands of years. 

Added to that, the website said, many of those components are produced in and shipped from China. Obviously, this increases the carbon footprint as well. They said this could create 88 lbs of CO2 per artificial tree, which is more than ten times that of a sustainably grown real tree. That said, keeping that artificial tree for 10 years would even out that carbon impact. Ten years later, most artificial trees do not look as nice as they did straight out of the box, so they are often discarded before that decade mark.

“I keep thinking one of these days, the same trend that’s made the plastic straw sort of the public enemy is someday going to take a look at that fake tree and say, ‘You know what, that thing’s a problem, too,’” said Tim O’Connor, the executive director of the National Tree Association in another article I read on realtor.com. 

A statistic I found in that same article came as a shock to me, but then I thought more about it. The artificial tree is the choice for most people, this story said, with 82% of trees displayed being those types of trees, according to an American Christmas Tree Association survey done by the Nielsen people. At first, as I said, that came as a bit of a shock. But then, when we consider that many more people live in bigger cities than in rural America, I would suppose it would make sense. Add to that the wish to have the “perfect” tree or a better tree than the neighbors, or the convenience of simply bringing it up from the basement each year and a host of other attributes human beings have now (that may or may not be flattering or well-intended, unfortunately), I suppose it does make sense.

When we truly look at it, though, most real Christmas trees are grown like so many other crops. They are harvested in some parts of the tree farm, allowed to grow in other parts, and planted in those parts where a harvest just took place. 

That said, of course if we all march off into the forest somewhere and just cut our own trees, that is not a sustainable practice (nor, I believe, is it legal without a permit). But real trees that are grown in sustainable forests are better for the environment, of course. That would only make sense.

 It takes approximately seven years to grow the average-sized Christmas tree, from what I found. As trees grow, of course, they use carbon. They also use 10 times fewer resources than artificial tree factories. Also, for every Christmas tree that is cut from these sustainable suppliers, one to three new seedlings are planted, according to the Association of Christmas Tree Growers (I know, who thought that would be a thing? But it is.). This ensures there will not only be tree to sell every year, but it also provides habitat and other ecosystem services. One story I found said Christmas tree farms can also be located in places that would not be suitable for other crops — such as on steep hillsides. 

Once Christmas is over, there are even more obvious benefits to having a real tree. It can be sent through the chipper to make mulch. Perhaps it can be turned into lumber or wood for crafting. It can be composted and used in next year’s vegetable garden. Or it can be stripped down and used as a trellis for some of those vine-like veggies such as peas, beans or squash. I learned it can even be fed to goats, just as long as the grower did not use any chemicals on it, of course. The needles can be kept for potpourri or other crafts. And, of course, they make great fish habitat in the lake — just be sure to check with the Department of Natural Resources about any needed permitting. For those who live in the country and have the space, discarded Christmas trees can be set out near a wood line or on some corner of the property to serve as wildlife habitat.

I would not propose to sway anyone’s opinion on trees. Decor is a personal choice, or course. But thinking about it this way, a real tree makes a lot of sense as an economic benefit, not to mention the smell takes me back to my childhood. There are even health benefits to having plants in the house, and a real Christmas tree provides those same benefits. For me, as long as I am able, I will purchase a tree from our local tree farm — and you have to admit, some fun stories can come from attempts to cut our own tree at a tree farm that allows such a thing!

OneTreePlanted.com also has tips for having a more sustainable Christmas and holiday season, for those interested. If nothing else, it makes for good reading on a winter night.

No matter the type of tree, I wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season with friends and family!

Beckie Gaskill may be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].