Should You Buy a Real or Artificial Tree?

As fun and exciting as Christmas is, you can’t deny the amount of consumption that happens around the holidays. Between gifts, trees, and decorations, it’s a disaster for the environment!

With every holiday tradition comes a difficult choice—do you pick the traditional option, or do you go the green route? And in some cases, what is the green way to go?

I’ve talked to a few people who use artificial trees to save money and “the environment.” And I used to think that was the greener option—sure it’s plastic, but it lasts years and years.

But did you know that:

• A single farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 throughout its lifetime?
• Each acre of trees produces enough oxygen for the daily needs of 18 people?
• Christmas trees are often farmed sustainably. For each tree harvested, 1-3 seedlings are planted?
• The Christmas tree industry employs more than 100,000 Americans?

There are cons to real Christmas trees of course. If they don’t grow in your area, the tree may have traveled hundreds of miles to reach you! And if you work in an office or have allergies, a plastic tree might work out better in the long run.

What kind of tree do you buy?