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The biggest seasonal debate has begun! Should I buy a natural tree or an artificial Christmas tree? This is the perfect guide if you want to choose the most sustainable Christmas tree option. You’ll find the benefits and negative environmental impacts of each of the 7 Christmas trees.  

The traditional debate is between the natural and artificial Christmas trees. This debate is so complex because there isn’t a completely right or wrong answer. It is due to the fact that a lot of research has to be done, such as measuring its carbon footprint. It also depends on the consumers’ circumstances.

For example:

1.  Where do you live?
2.  Have you already bought a Christmas tree?
3.  How are you planning to dispose of it?

Only by taking into account the above and the following analysis we declare a winner between natural and artificial trees. Moreover, scientists and environmentalists have investigated this issue and it turns out that we have 7 Christmas tree options. Spoiler alert: There is definitely a winner between the 7 options. 

If you’re planning on buying the other options instead of the winner, don’t forget to consider how to reduce your carbon footprint with the next suggestions. 

This is a pretty clear guide on what aspects you should pay attention to and to help you decide which sustainable Christmas tree option is the best for you. 

The following ranking is divided into 3 sustainable levels. Level one is the least sustainable Christmas tree option and level 3 is the most sustainable option. Each level compares the two most similar options and determines a winner. At the end of the article you’ll find the sources we used for the analysis. 

Natural Christmas tree vs artificial Christmas tree

Level 1:

The best way to analyze which one is more sustainable is by answering the following questions: 

Where was it produced or grown? Was it shipped from someplace far?
– Natural: 60% of natural trees are grown in countries like Canada. The only way this can be a better option is if your tree is locally grown. Most of them are grown in farms that avoid building on the land and keep it exclusively for nature.
– Artificial: It needs international shipping. The majority of them come from China. The shipping costs should never be underestimated. According to António Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations:  “If the shipping sector was a country, it would be the world’s sixth biggest greenhouse gas emitter.”

Were agrochemicals used?
– Natural: Probably yes. These chemicals destroy the ecosystem.
– Artificial: No.

What are you going to do with your Christmas tree after the holiday?
– Natural: You can compost or recycle it. The worst option is to throw it away  because it ends up in a landfill or gets incinerated which causes more CO2 emissions. Let’s say no to Christmas graveyards in January. 
– Artificial: You can reuse your tree next year or give it to second hand stores when Christmas is over. The majority of the artificial trees are not recyclable because they are made of a combination of PVC, a type of plastic, and steel.  This means that if they are not reused, they will end up in landfills.

 CO2 emissions:
– Natural: Emits 16kg of CO2.
– Artificial: Emits 40kg of CO2. 

Negative environmental impact:
– Natural: Deforestation can destroy the ecosystem. Moreover, make sure that the tree doesn’t come from illegal deforestation.
– Artificial: Affects species, more factories are built, more resource extraction is needed.

Plot twist: 
The study Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of artificial vs natural Christmas tree, concludes that having a natural Christmas tree is the best option if we compare it to an artificial tree. However, if you reuse your artificial Christmas tree for 20 years, the impact will have been diminished. The main problem is that most people reuse it for only 6 years. Remember that if you already have an Christmas artificial tree try to take advantage of its lifespan as long as you can. 

So does this mean we can go ahead and buy a natural Christmas tree? Sadly, the answer is still no. Natural trees are the winners of level 1 but they are definitely not the most sustainable option.

Rented or planted trees vs certified trees

Level 2:

We need to start considering these modern options. It can be a little trickier to find them in the market but, believe me, each year more people are adopting this business model.

Where was it produced or grown? Was it shipped from someplace far?
– Rented or planted: Most of them are locally grown. It’s important to check this information before buying one.
– Certified: Most certified trees are grown nationally, therefore, if we compare them to the trees shipped internationally, they have a much lower carbon footprint.

Were agrochemicals used?
– Rented or planted: Yes.
– Certified: Probably yes.This is not guaranteed, however you can ask about it to your local business. 

What are you going to do with your Christmas tree after the holiday?
– Rented or planted: You can reuse it for several years or plant it.
– Certified:  You can compost or recycle it. Remember to never incinerate it.

CO2 Emissions:
– Rented or planted: 3.5 Kg of CO2.
– Certified: 16 Kg of CO2.

Level 2 winner: Rented or planted Christmas trees. What really made the difference was that the rented or planted Christmas trees can be reused for several years. If there was any deforestation, the rented or planted trees will definitely have a longer life span compared to the 1-3 months a certified Christmas tree has.

DIY your tree vs using a garden tree vs second hand trees 

Level 3:

Second hand trees: 
Using a second hand tree is only a great option if you reuse it for a total of 20 years; It will eventually pay off the 40Kg of CO2 it emits. Nevertheless, it still has a negative environmental impact as any other artificial tree. But if you are a Christmas tree rescuer, it is definitely a sustainable option. 

DIY trees:
It’s difficult to measure how sustainable they are because it completely depends on the materials you use.  If you follow the next principles, then you’ll definitely have created a perfectly sustainable Christmas tree: Reuse, repair, repurpose, reduce or recycle. 

If you buy something for your DIY tree, try to repurpose it after the holiday is over.  The most common DIY trees are built with books or by decorating a wall and creating a 2D tree. 

Garden trees: 
Decorating your garden tree is definitely the winner of all levels. Garden trees are the most sustainable Christmas trees!  

Garden trees don’t affect local biodiversity, they obviously absorb CO2, and there wasn’t any deforestation involved in the process. So maybe you won’t have a pine tree this year, but decorating the same garden tree for the next three or more generations can become a new Christmas tradition. 

Let me know in the comments what Christmas tree option you chose and if you are planning on having a more sustainable Christmas. 

If you are looking for ideas on how to transform the holidays into sustainable celebrations, you may be interested in: Rethinking the Holidays During the Climate Crisis.

Sources: 
Couillard, S, Bage, G, and Trudel, Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of artificial vs natural Christmas tree. Canada: N.p., 2009 
Christmas Tree Naturally Mexican: CONAFOR (2018)
Real vs Artificial Christmas Trees: Which Is the Greener Choice?, NY Times (2018)