How To Keep Your Tree Green In Every Sense This Christmas - The Gloss Magazine

How To Keep Your Tree Green In Every Sense This Christmas

Holly Hughes gives real trees the green light …

My name is Holly and so it is a foregone conclusion that I love all things Christmas. Nothing more so than the entrenched family tradition of scouting, buying, decorating, and then enjoying a Christmas tree. For me, every part of this process – from the inevitable bickering over the “perfect” tree in a cold December car park, to the creative differences of opinion over a decorative theme – is sacred to me. Of all the Christmas traditions I have foregone or downgraded in the interest of living a more environmentally friendly life (present-wrapping – present-giving even! – turkey, ham, etc) the one that I am the most reluctant to let go of is my Christmas tree. Do I need to? Can I hold onto this tradition in a way that won’t harm the environment? O Christmas tree, just how polluting are your branches? From the type of tree you buy to the decorative accoutrements, let’s consider how to keep your tree green in every sense this Christmas.

REAL OR ARTIFICIAL – WHICH IS BETTER?

Taking every stage of a real and artificial tree’s life cycle into account, experts agree that a real tree – when farmed ethically, bought locally, and disposed of responsibly – is categorically the better choice. A Canadian study that conducted in-depth life cycle assessments on both real or artificially made Christmas trees, found that an artificial tree has two times the carbon footprint of a real tree (48kg of carbon dioxide emissions, compared to 24kg for a real tree). This is because artificial trees are made from plastic that not only requires the burning of fossil fuels in production but is equally polluting at end of life. Non-recyclable, plastic materials glue themselves to our planet in landfills, water systems, and habitats. Add to this the fact most of these trees are produced in and then shipped from China and you can see why this study concluded that it would take 20 years of use before an artificial tree could offset its impact. However, if you’ve your heart set on an artificial tree, don’t worry. Taking good care of your tree so that you can get decades of use out of it, renting a tree instead, or buying secondhand from sites like GumTree are easy ways to lessen and even offset its carbon footprint.

What you do with your tree after Christmas is every bit as important as what you do with it during the festive season.

IS A REAL TREE NECESSARILY THE RIGHT TREE?

How, where, and by whom your tree is produced are integral factors in calculating the sustainability of your tree. You want to make sure your tree is grown as locally as possible to cut down on transport emissions and done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Look for the Love a RealTree label and FSC-certification to ensure your tree is grown in Ireland to high ethical and environmental standards. I would also try and find a farm that doesn’t use netting and will allow you to bring your own rope or materials to cut down even further on waste. Finally, it pays to think inside the box. Or rather, the pot. Did you know that pot-grown trees are growing in popularity and are the most environmentally friendly option? Many nurseries offer these reusable trees that you can rent or buy and then watch grow year-on-year as a garden staple. While buying pot-grown does often mean compromising on size (most are under five feet), I think this can actually add to festive tradition. One of the things we love most about Christmas trees is the familial legacy of them: the handing down of ornaments and adornments through the generations. What could be more special than having the same tree as the centrepiece of your Christmas, watching it bloom and evolve, just as families do?

DISPOSE OF YOUR TREE PROPERLY

What you do with your tree after Christmas is every bit as important as what you do with it during the festive season. Avoid burning your tree as this will release all of its stored carbon into the environment. Putting it into landfill is equally detrimental. Instead, recycle or repurpose it responsibly. Mulching your tree to reuse as garden compost is one way to maximise your tree’s usefulness while minimising on waste. If this option isn’t available to you, recycle your tree for free at your local recycling centre. Most local councils will have a Christmas tree recycling scheme so contact yours to find out where and when to dispose of your tree responsibly.

Does all of this sound like too much faff? Don’t forget that the most sustainable option is of course to not buy a Christmas tree at all and instead use houseplants, potted trees, or interesting found objects you already have in your home or garden. In my last houseshare, my housemates turned a piece of driftwood into a “tree” and used their own accessories to decorate it. Their most glamorous shawls became tinsel, earrings and pendants hung suspended from the branches as shimmering ornaments, and the flat expanse of the driftwood’s ridges became a repository for Christmas cards and presents. In case it’s not obvious from this description, the effect was exceptional! Like a festive art installation, it was a festive focal point and the desire to keep Christmas traditions alive but in a completely innovative and ethical way. There was no electricity required for lights, no plastic baubles bought in a multipack, no tree cut down or manufactured from plastic and shipped across the world.

This leads us nicely onto the other considerations of a having a real Christmas tree: its decorations. Replace shop-bought plastic baubles with homemade card cut-outs, painted pine cones, and figurines made from felt, knitted wool, or any other material you have to hand. Make Christmas tree decorating an event, getting family or friends together for a night of mulled wine-fuelled creativity and free art therapy. Instead of tinsel, make homemade bunting from fabric scraps; for lights, go for energy-efficient LED sets and use a timer power strip to cut down on energy usage. So many parts of Christmas traditions we consider disposable – things to be discarded as soon as January comes. However, there is another way to when it comes to choosing, caring for, and reusing a Christmas tree and decorations. With a little more care and attention, you can create not only a truly unique tree but also a tradition that can last a lifetime, and maybe even longer.

@holly_hughes_words

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