Fun Fact Thursday: Real vs. Fake

Hi, my name is Jessi, and I'm an ecoholic.

Many LOVE the smell and feel of having a real tree in their living room at Christmas. But one has to wonder, is this eco-friendly?

I love trees. Trees are probably one of my favorite things in the whole world. I am in love with trees. I'd also like to consider myself  BFF's with Mother Earth so, I did a lot of research on this question to find out which tree is more eco-friendly, real or fake?

The answer: both, actually. Each has pros and both have cons.

Real Trees

PRO: Buying a real tree every year asserts that more will be planted in its place.
CON: Many tree farms use pesticides to maintain trees, which is extremely damaging to the ecosystem.

PRO: While the tree is alive it's doing important tree things for the environment.
CON: Often, tree farms grow trees only for places that sell precut trees. These trees are cut down using equipment and shipped in large trailer trucks all over the country. A lot of trees are not used and end up being thrown away.

PRO: They are recycled in landfills and/or our town has a tree-recycling plan.
CON: Many towns do have a tree recycling plan that details a specific truck making rounds, creating more pollution. Some towns burn the trees creating pollution when, ultimately, letting it naturally decompose or having it made into mulch might be more eco-friendly (although still creating pollution.)

Fake Trees:

PRO: You don't waste trees every year, cutting one down for 4 weeks of viewing.
CON: Creation of fake trees leaves a significant carbon footprint due to production, chemicals used, and shipment.

PRO: Many fake trees are flame retardant, causing fewer fires in households where real trees can present a fire hazard.
CON: Flame retardant = carbon footprint.

PRO: It costs less to have a fake tree.
CON: You aren't giving your money to small tree farms- you're giving it to large manufacturing corporations.

So, folks, they jury is out as to whether fake or real is greener. Some factors to consider:
Storage: Can you store a real tree year round? Are you willing to keep the same fake one for many years?
Money: The average cut-your-own costs about $35-55. Over 10 years that's $350-550 (plus travel to get one) and you'll enjoy it for just a few weeks.
Smell: Real ones smell wonderful. Yankee Candle's Balsam and Fir also smells wonderful.
Mess: Real trees leave needles everywhere and require maintenance. Fake ones are no muss no fuss.

There really isn't a good answer to this one. Both are helpful to the environment. Both are harmful to the environment.

So, here's what I do:

I bought a BEAUTIFUL tree on clearance about 5 years ago. The tree was $500, but I got it for 1/2 off in January, and it has already paid for itself. No, it doesn't smell, (thank you Yankee Candle) and I do miss the tradition of cutting your own, but I don't miss the horrible guilt I felt when I cut down a tree, to later throw it on the side of the road. I just can't do it. So, in order to compensate for the carbon footprint I left when I bought my fake (gorgeous and perfect) tree a few years ago I joined The Arbor Day Foundation. My annual membership fee plants 10 trees every single year.

This year, I started a new tradition by purchasing 3 holiday give-a-tree-cards at http://www.arbordayfoundation.org/ Each card you buy plants a tree and the card is made from recycled paper. They cost about $6 dollars per card. Now, if my tree has already paid for itself, and I purchased 3 cards... not only am I saving money, but I'm also helping to rebuild national forests with trees that won't be cut down :) Sounds pretty good to me.

So, either way you go-- real versus fake-- do something to give back. That is the greener decision.