The scent of the pine tree, to me is the smell of Christmas. But are Christmas Trees eco friendly? The good news is that it can be. Christmas trees are farmed and replanted every year so even if you get a cut tree you can rest assured that you are not depriving the earth of a CO2 absorbing tree. Try to buy locally in order to cut down on the amount of fuel consumed getting it to your house. If you buy one in a pot with a view to replanting it at the seasons end, be aware that our warm houses are not neccesarily the best environment for keeping them in, to help it survive make sure you give it plenty of water. The most important thing is to remember to recycle it after Christmas. There are lots of council run recycling stations which will take in your christmas tree, mulch it and use it to help new things grow.So what about artificial trees? Unfortunately, although as they are reusable artificial trees consume massive amounts of energy during manufacture. This means that they create CO2 during production where as a real tree absorbs it. They are also made from PVC which is derived from oil. If you have one already, don't throw it away, it would be a shame to think that all that CO2 would have been wasted. They make great second trees.
Although an Irish grown living tree is the more environmentally friendly of your choices do be aware that trees are often sprayed with chemicals and as yet I have been unable to find an organic tree here.
For more information, I found this great article on the Christmas Tree Debate.
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