Motivation: Buy a live Christmas tree instead of an artificial Christmas tree.
I asked my husband if he thought that a real tree or an artificial tree was more eco-friendly. His answer: artificial tree. Initially, we both thought that an artificial tree would be more eco-friendly because you are reusing the same tree year after year and not cutting down real trees. We were both wrong!
Real Christmas trees are the eco-friendly choice. Buy a tree with the root ball and you are being even more eco-friendly because the tree can be planted after the holidays are over. Good Girl Gone Green and Earth 911 cover the debate of "real vs. fake" and also promote buying a real Christmas tree. Over the long run, a real tree will cost you more money. However, the positive environmental impact of buying a real tree every year will outweigh your out-of-pocket cost in the end.
Artificial Christmas trees are harmful. They can potentially cause cancer because they are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is “one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic.” Fake trees might contain lead and other additives that have been linked to liver, kidney, neurological and reproductive system damage in lab studies on animals.
I challenge you to buy a real Christmas tree (even if it is a small one) and stand clear of fake, toxic plastic trees!
8 comments:
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Great post! Today I just read something about this exact topic and wondered the same thing.
This was definitely a question that we would ask ourselves each year. Years ago, going artificial for that a one time purchase made more sense to us. Like the article I read said, it saves gas otherwise used for annual trips to a tree farm or shopping center, not to mention for cross-country shipping of the tree to point of sale. We have used ours for many years now but miss the fresh scent of natural pine. If we chose to go fresh cut next year, of course we could and would turn it to mulch or compost. Another option I read was choosing "a living, plantable bulb tree. Inside, the tree can wear ornaments and garland, and after Christmas it can be transplanted outdoors. You'll be adding to the planet's lungs and fighting global warming, as well as providing wildlife habitat. If you live in an apartment, or don't have room in your yard for an evergreen, see if you can donate it to someplace in your community."
Lamone - thank you for stopping by from the blog hop. I am hopping back over now!
Going Green - I would LOVE to do a tree with the root ball, but I received some resistance from my husband. Next year, I'll try to steer him towards the smaller trees with root balls.
I did buy a small spruce (I think that's what it is) in a pot that I am using as decoration and will then plant in the ground in the Spring.
We have been re-using an artificial tree. It seems like they are discovering more and more common products are toxic :(
We have only ever had "real" conifer Christmas trees. We don't plant it, rather we leave it in the pot and feed it during the year, so that it is in the best condition it can be every time :).
This year - our first on the farm - we couldn't fit the tree in the trailer, so we left that tree behind. So we used another tree - a pomegranate - which worked as well as the conifer, and we planted it with out other pomegranates when Christmas was finished :) (http://ecofootprintsa.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-happy.html)
Dani - I have never seen what a pomegranate tree looks like, I will have to look it up. I like the idea of decorating a tree different from the standard Christmas tree.
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