(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by SWCD.)

The history of Christmas trees dates back thousands of years; they were originally used to celebrate the winter season long before any religious affiliations. However, through the years the celebration changed to decorating trees in the 1500s and in the 1600s, families started using candles to light their trees. The first artificial trees were developed in the 1800s and consisted of goose feathers dyed green and attached to wire branches. Today, artificial trees are made from PVC plastic and over 80% are made in China and shipped around the world. 

In the US alone, over 25 million real Christmas trees are sold every year. Also, there are an additional 300+ million trees that are currently growing on Christmas tree farms across the country. On average, for every tree that is harvested, another 3 are planted in its place, this helps ensure that plenty of trees will be available even after natural mortality due to disease, drought, etc. Comparatively, only 10 million artificial trees are bought every year.  

When trying to decide whether to get a real or artificial tree, there are several factors to consider, including environmental impact. Artificial trees require large amounts of carbon emissions during production and shipping whereas real trees are constantly absorbing carbon dioxide throughout their lives. Additionally, artificial trees typically last fewer than 10 years and in many cases, fewer than 5 years. Ultimately, this means more waste in our landfills. 

When it comes to real trees, the biggest impact that you can control is disposal. Simply putting your Christmas tree at the end of the driveway and sending it to the landfill is the worst thing that you can do. When Christmas trees (or any organic materials) end up in landfills they slowly decompose and release methane gas into the atmosphere; methane gas is roughly 80 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Some alternatives for disposal include chipping, composting on your own land, burning (not in your inside fireplace), or recycling. Check your local composting site for drop off times and locations.