How To Pick the Most Sustainable Christmas Tree, According to a Scientist

As Christmas draws closer, we will all be thinking about decking the halls and putting up our trees—real or fake.

According to Statistica, between 35 million and 50 million Christmas trees are bought by Americans every year. Artificial trees are reusable, and many more U.S. citizens pull theirs out of storage every year.

Usually, whether to have a real or fake tree is a matter of preference. But as the environment comes under increased threat, some may want to think about another option: what is most sustainable. Now, a forestry professor has provided some answers to that question.

Curtis VanderSchaaf, an assistant professor of forestry, at Mississippi State University, said in an article in The Conversation that there are actually pros and cons for each.

Real Christmas trees

Generally, cutting trees down is seen as a bad thing for the environment—trees, when they grow freely in the soil, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. This helps reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

So every time a real Christmas tree is cut down, there is less carbon dioxide being captured and more greenhouse gasses.

"If you live in Mississippi, like I do, buying a noble fir (Abies procera) means your tree probably came from the Pacific Northwest. That's a long drive, and transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions," VanderSchaaf said in the report. "However, in a truck with several hundred trees, each individual tree's transportation emissions are pretty minor. There are many other wonderful species grown locally. Of course, the lowest-impact cut tree is the one you cut from your own yard."

VanderSchaaf recommends looking for local nurseries that have an emphasis on protecting their soils and reducing harm from fertilizers or pesticides.

The sustainability of Christmas trees also depends on what you decide to do once the holiday season is over.

Many people leave their trees to decompose in a landfill, the article reports. However this contributes to the release of methane gas into the atmosphere, which is even worse than carbon dioxide.

VanderSchaaf advises recycling trees, rather than letting them go to a landfill.

"Composting is another option. Trees can be used as an erosion barrier for sand or soil or as fish habitat in lakes," he writes. "They can even be donated whole to zoos, where the trees provide entertainment for animals while eventually decaying outside of a landfill, or they can be tossed into a bio-burner to provide heating for buildings. Some people even feed trees to goats. Alternatively, consider cutting the tree into smaller pieces and letting it rot in the open, placing it in an out-of-the-way place in your yard. It will provide a temporary home for many insects, birds and wildlife."

Artificial trees

Artificial trees do not pose the problem of disposal as often as real trees do. The reusable trees can be stored away every year and last for much longer.

But these too, have their cons, the article reports.

"They can last for years and require almost no maintenance. However, they are mostly a petroleum-based product, and when you throw one out, it can take hundreds of years to decompose," VanderSchaaf writes.

For this reason, he advises paying attention to where the artificial tree is coming from.

"About 80% of artificial Christmas trees are manufactured in China. Shipping is pretty efficient, but the tree still needs to get to and from the ports," he writes. "You can also look for one manufactured nearby instead. Some manufacturers are making trees out of recycled materials, at least in part, which helps reduce the tree's carbon footprint. Shorter artificial trees, or designs with less foliage, also use less plastic."