November 2008
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Facebook- celebrate Christmas, and are in the majority of North Americans who decorate a Christmas tree each year, your Christmas tree is probably artificial.
- purchased an artificial tree for safety reasons (I.E. you didn’t want to host a fire hazard), you may be surprised to know that they are potentially harmful to your health. Artificial trees are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which often uses lead as a stabilizer. This is why you’ll see a label on faux Christmas trees cautioning you to avoid inhaling or eating any bits of lead dust that may fall from the branches. Visit the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition website for more information about the health hazards and how to avoid them.
- purchased an artificial tree for environmental reasons (I.E. you didn’t want to chop down a tree to have in your home for just a few weeks), you might want to consider that the average artificial tree is used for only six to nine years whereas it will remain in a landfill for centuries.
- are still concerned about the environmental impact of chopping down Christmas trees, it may help to know that every acre of Christmas trees produces enough daily oxygen for 18 people, and that 2-3 new seedlings are planted for each tree that is cut. There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the US, much of it preserving green space. And, due to their hardiness, Christmas trees are often planted where few other plants grow, thereby increasing soil stability, protecting the water supply and providing a refuge for wildlife.*
- are concerned with the social side of Christmas tree consumption, consider that North American Christmas tree farms employ more than 100,000 people in primarily rural economies whereas 80% of artificial trees worldwide are manufactured in China, according to the US Commerce Department.
- want to have a real tree the most sustainable option is to purchase a potted Christmas tree and replant it in your yard after the holidays. But whether your Christmas tree is potted or not, remember that Christmas trees are an agricultural product and so the common issues of mass agriculture apply. Buy a tree from a small-scale sustainable grower if you can and choose organic to reduce pesticide use. Clean Calgary Association is offering locally grown, chemical free trees for $30.
- don’t want to or aren’t able to replant your Christmas tree you can still avoid sending it to the landfill. Simply remove the decorations, tinsel and nails and drop it off at a designated residential fire station for recycling. The City of Calgary collects approximately 40,000 trees each year between late-December and early January, then mulches them for use in City green spaces and the Calgary Zoo. Mulch is also made available to citizens at no cost for use in their gardens and yards. Visit The City of Calgary’s website for a map of drop off locations for your tree or information about where to get mulch.
* National Christmas Tree Association
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November 19th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
This article was very surprising to me. How is it that the view of the regular consumer (me and others like me) is so skewed? I thought I was doing a good thing by giving up real trees a few years ago…obviously I wasn’t fully informed. Thank you for this.
November 19th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
This is very informative, and helps us make better choices by considering all context instead of relying on assumptions. One question remains though: what do I do with my cancerous, lead-riddled old plastic tree?
November 19th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Samantha,
I’m sorry to say that artificial trees cannot be recycled because the plastic and metal cannot be separated. The only disposal option at this time is to send the tree to a landfill so, from an environmental standpoint, it makes sense to use the tree for as long as possible. If you have small children or pets and are concerned about the health risks of keeping your artificial tree around then, unfortunately, you will have to trade-off the environment for your health. In this case there are no perfect solutions. If you decide to use your artificial tree for as long as possible and delay its inevitable trip to the landfill, the following site has some interesting suggestions about how to keep it “alive”:
http://howtome.com/?p=189
Stephanie
November 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Thanks for this article, I have wondered about the pros and cons of live versus fake and always chosen live. We have had some great family outings getting our tree from the Junior Forest Warden site west of Calgary. (google Junior Forest Wardens for more information and a map) When we don’t go to the wilds for our tree we support Scouting lots but I have never asked them if their trees come from a sustainable forest so thanks for that suggestion.
Pat
December 1st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Do you have suggestions for condo buildings that ban real trees? I bought an artificial tree for that reason, and plan to use it for more than 6-7 years. Hopefully, by the time it is no longer useable, recycling options will be available. PS if you are trying to warn people about PVC, put it into the context of everything else in our daily lives that contains PVC. Artificial trees are only present 1mo per year – what about the cars some of us use every day? The vinyl chloride offgassing of those interiors is far worse.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for your comments. Short of decorating a house plant, I don’t have any suggestions for condo dwellers. I lived in a condo until recently and we too had a rule against real trees, which is why (like you) I bought an artificial one. Then I was horrified to learn how toxic they are when I researched this article. It’s a dilemma alright.
It’s true that we are surrounded by PVC products and artificial Christmas trees are only a small part of the problem. For many people, the choice to buy a real versus an artificial tree is still one they can make. We don’t always have an obvious alternative to other PVC products.
Stephanie
December 19th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
For years we have decorated our fig tree- when it was small, we just hung a few ornaments and candy canes on it. Now it is over six feet tall and we put mini lights on it, glittery ornaments, garlands, and wrap the bottom in poly cotton fill that looks like fluffy snow, and then surround the pot with a lovely tree skirt. It is absolutely beautiful- no chemicals, nothing harmful to go in a landfill one day, and no cutting down precious live trees!