How Your Christmas Tree Can Impact The Environment (Credit: Climate Central and The New York Times)

As we enter December, preparations for the holiday season are in full swing. For many, these preparations including finding and decorating the perfect Christmas tree. Whether you opt for a real tree or an artificial one, it is good to be mindful of ways you can reduce the environmental impacts of your Christmas tree.  

For many families, going to a Christmas tree farm and picking out the perfect tree is a holiday tradition. Initially, it may seem as though cutting down Christmas trees is not an environmentally friendly option. However, Christmas trees are grown on farms for the purpose of being cut. This is similar to how other crops are grown for the purpose of being harvested. Therefore, the environmental impacts are not the same as clear-cutting trees from a forest. Additionally, real Christmas trees can turned into mulch after the holiday season. Recycling the trees allows them to be reused in a way that can positively impact the environment. 

While some people prefer real trees for Christmas, others opt for artificial trees. Artificial trees are a convenient option which provide some benefits, such as being affordable and having less environmental impacts than real Christmas trees. While  artificial trees may not seem very eco-friendly, they are reuseable and can  last many years which minimizes their environmental impact. Many artificial trees come with pre-attached Christmas lights. For these types of trees, looking for trees with LED lights is the more energy efficient and environmentally friendly option.
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​©2018 Meteorologist Stephanie Edwards