When I was a child, my family made a tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree. On these excursions, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad about taking the life of something so permanent for only a few weeks of delightful aroma and holiday bliss. But once we kids left the nest, and my parents switched to an artificial tree, it quickly proved itself to be a poor replacement. Let me tell you why.
While a fake tree may make you feel less guilty at first, that guilt isn’t necessary — especially when it comes to our planet. In fact, the biggest reason for avoiding them is that they’re made of PVC, which is comprised of two pollutants: petroleum and chlorine. Even during production, PVC
produces dioxin (a deadly toxin); it’s also nonrecyclable due to its heavy metal content, and it never breaks down.
On the other end of the spectrum, live trees actually help the Earth by absorbing greenhouse gases and releasing oxygen. Yep, that’s right. Every Christmas tree farm acre creates enough oxygen for 18 people and, with 35,000 acres in Pennsylvania alone, we can all breathe a little easier. As an added bonus, these farms tend to prevent the takeover of suburban sprawl and intensive agriculture.
Another benefit of live trees is that they allow us to support local industry. As the largest national producer of Christmas trees, Pennsylvania is the ideal place to find your perfect pick and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, since 85 percent of fake trees are made in China. Plus, the 100,000 Americans employed by farms like these will thank you for your purchase.
Sure, live trees can have their downsides, like dropped needles and post-holiday disposal, but these are easy to turn into positives. First, let’s start with selection. Think again. These varieties (i.e., White, Fraser, Balsam and Canaan) retain their needles much better than spruces or pines, making them a top choice.
Just make sure yours is freshly cut, and always keep your stand full of water. Follow this advice and no fake will likely ever hold a candle to these fragrant beauties.
Fortunately, when it comes to disposal, solutions abound there, too. Have cast-off from shaping your tree? Try repurposing some to make your own wreaths or garlands and simply compost the rest. Then, after the last of the eggnog is gone, make some fast arrangements to have your tree mulched. While many municipalities offer scheduled curbside pickups for this purpose, Pittsburgh also has four tree-cycling drop-off sites. At the end of the season, it doesn’t get much greener than that.
