Christmas trees
Alternative trees
Alternative trees made from branches and fairy lights are great for saving on space and money.
They are reusable and you can make your own out of items you already have at home.
Artificial trees
According to The Carbon Trust an artificial tree has a carbon footprint of around 40kg of CO2, compared with 16kg for a landfilled real tree (or 3.5kg for real tree that is composted). Although this sounds like an unsustainable option, by keeping your artificial tree for more than 10 years, the carbon footprint of buying and responsibly disposing of a real tree every year will overtake that of the artificial one.
So if you already have an artificial tree, store it well so it will last year after year. If you are going to buy one, make sure you buy a good quality one that will stand the test of time!
Real trees
There are a couple of sustainable options when it comes to having real cut Christmas trees.
If you are having a traditional cut tree this year, it is important to try and choose a local, sustainably grown tree and to dispose of them correctly after Christmas is over. Many district councils will allow you to put them in your garden waste bin, or offer a tree collection.
Alternatively, you could compost the needles and smaller branches at home and use the trunk as logs for a fire pit or make a log pile as a sanctuary for wildlife in your garden.
Rentable Christmas trees are a great alternative to a cut tree and are becoming widely available. They are trees that are grown and potted up for you to take home before returning it after the Christmas period. They are a great as they drop much less needles than a cut tree and are able to keep growing and be reused each year while also still storing carbon from the air all the while. The down side is they need to be booked in advance as they can be snapped up pretty quickly. There are some companies that allow you to take the same tree home year after year too which is amazing!
Information on Christmas tree disposal and Christmas waste collections
For local information on how to dispose of your tree responsibly, and for Christmas waste collection details visit your local council's website:
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