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Real Christmas Trees Benefit the Environment While they’re growing, Real Christmas Trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. The farms that grow Christmas Trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts.
Is it more environmentally friendly to have a real Christmas tree?
Well, researchers have found that real Christmas trees have a smaller carbon footprint, and are therefore better for the environment than fake ones. That means the grower has planted new trees for every one they chop down. In fact, The Woodland Trust say that up to 10 trees are planted for every one tree cut down.
Are fresh Christmas trees bad for the environment?
For the most part, though, real Christmas trees are a net environmental positive. Tree farms are essentially man-made forests that provide the same ecological benefits as actual forests, releasing oxygen into the air and taking in carbon dioxide.
What are the benefits of having a real Christmas tree?
Real Christmas Trees Beyond converting carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen, Christmas trees filter water, reduce runoff and potential flooding, and provide homes, food and protection for wildlife.
What are the pros and cons of a real Christmas tree?
ARTIFICIAL VS. REAL CHRISTMAS TREES Pros Cons Christmas tree farms help sustain the rural economy and provide jobs Less economical Another tree is planted for each one harvested to ensure a steady supply year after year Transporting the tree and disposing of it after use can be difficult.
What’s the most environmentally friendly Christmas tree?
Getting a live Christmas tree with the root ball attached is by far the most eco-friendly Christmas tree. If you can’t get a tree with an attached root ball, getting a live Christmas tree is more eco-friendly than getting an artificial Christmas tree.
Is buying a real tree better for the environment?
They are also non-recyclable and typically end up in landfills. Real trees, on the other hand, have a lower carbon footprint, if they are disposed of and recycled properly, according to Carbon Trust, a collective of international experts on climate change and decarbonization.
What is the environmental impact of Christmas trees?
Even the decaying stumps of of the trees that were cut harbor insects that are food for wood peckers and flickers. But wildlife can also include the smallest foragers. Christmas tree farms, because of the flowering ground covers growing around the trees, provide habitat for native bees and other pollinators.
How does Christmas affect the environment?
Accumulated, this means that during the Christmas season, we eat as a nation, 80 per cent more food than during the rest of the year. The downside to this, however, is that we are producing excess waste and pollution to the point where we are binning 230,000 tonnes of food during the Christmas period.
Why real trees are better than fake trees?
Real Christmas trees help filter dust and smog from the air and help stop soil erosion. Christmas trees on a farm produce oxygen – a necessary component of life for people. Real Christmas trees provide a comfortable habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Fake trees end up in a landfill.
Are tree farms good for the environment?
The trees provide many benefits to the environment as they grow, cleaning the air and providing watersheds and habitats for wildlife. Many other states also have sizable Christmas tree farms, which preserve open land from development by their very existence.
How does Christmas contribute to waste?
Globally at Christmas our waste levels increase by 25-30% with much of the excess waste being made up from packaging, wrapping paper, cards and food waste[3]. We must start to seek changes and one good place to start is Christmas, which for the waste industry is the most wasteful time of the year.
How do the holidays affect the environment?
Your holiday can have serious environmental and social impacts once you arrive at your destination too. Water, power and other essentials are often diverted away from local needs to supply exclusive tourist resorts and golf courses, while high levels of waste and pollution from luxury hotels threatens local ecosystems.
What is the carbon footprint of Christmas?
A study in the U.S. suggests that during the holiday season, each person produces an additional 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). This is equivalent to about three weeks of driving or about 3.8 percent of an individual’s annual carbon footprint of 36,000 lbs.
Do Christmas trees cause deforestation?
Many consumers believe real Christmas trees are harvested from wild forest stands and that this process contributes to deforestation. In fact, the vast majority of Christmas trees are grown on farms for that express purpose. Fuel use is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Christmas tree production.
Is Christmas tree farming sustainable?
The plantation-grown Holiday tree is a renewable resource that is environmentally superior to oil based (plastic) artificial trees. Holiday trees decompose in landfills and quickly replentish soil nutrients rather than release toxins for a period of years.
What happens recycle Christmas tree?
Once they have been chipped they are taken to a depot where they are left over time to decompose, and this compost is then used as mulch and weed suppressant for gardens and public areas. The mulch has more uses though, with some communities using it to pave running trails.
How can we make Christmas more sustainable?
18 ways to have a green, eco-friendly Christmas 1 Rent a Christmas tree. 2 Or go for a more eco-friendly alternative. 3 Wrap gifts with recycled paper or fabric. 4 Send forest-friendly or plantable Christmas cards. 5 Buy eco-friendly crackers. 6 Reuse everything! 7 Think about your wreath. 8 Get a smart metre.
How does Christmas affect the economy?
Christmas is typically the largest economic stimulus for many nations around the world as sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas. In 2021, total holiday retail sales were projected to have reached new highs of almost 850 billion U.S. dollars.
