If you're wondering about artificial vs. organic Christmas trees, this article will let you know what to look for and why you might want to choose an organic Christmas tree for your holiday celebration. If you're buying organic gifts, why not put them under an organic tree?
Organic Christmas Trees
Organic Christmas trees are a great, environmentally responsible choice for the holidays. Trees grown without pesticides are better for the environment, and you're not bringing chemicals into your home on a tree. There are many different pesticides and chemicals used in conventional Christmas tree farming, which are detrimental to both the farmers and farm workers, as well as the planet.
Choosing an organic live Christmas tree is a great way to bring nature into your home. In some cases you can even find a tree that still has its roots attached so that you can plant the tree in your yard when the holiday season is over. This is much less wasteful than buying and throwing away a tree each year.
Artificial Christmas Trees
On the other hand, there is the artificial Christmas tree. A one-time purchase can keep you in holiday decorations for years. Fake Christmas trees don't all look fake anymore-now there are tons of different kinds of trees at every price point imaginable, up to $1,000 or more.
While an artificial Christmas tree is never going to be an organic choice, it does prevent you from being the reason that dozens of trees are eliminated from the environment over the course of your lifetime.
Artificial vs. Organic Christmas Trees
When weighing the pros and cons of artificial vs. organic Christmas trees, you need to think about what your environmental priorities are.
First off, buying organic instead of a conventionally grown live tree or an artificial tree may be the most important to you. If you are more interested in not wasting natural resources, you might choose an artificial tree so that you aren't contributing to the waste of a tree each year.
Or you might choose to use a tree that can be planted or go with an environmentally friendly disposal option. In many places, trees are dropped into the lake after the holidays to provide a habitat for fish.
Some people forego the big holiday tree altogether and instead use a small tree in a pot that can be moved outside during the summer months and inside for the holidays. You can also use an ornamental tree like a rosemary "tree" as your holiday centerpiece but still use it as a houseplant or food source throughout the year.
Buying Organic Trees
Another issue in your decision about artificial vs. organic Christmas trees will have to do with whether there is a source of such trees near where you live. Unfortunately, there are not good sources for organic trees throughout the country yet. Eco Business Links has a good collection of links to organic tree farmers throughout the United States.
If you can't find an organic grower near you, consider going without a tree and buying instead an organic balsam fir wreath or another wreath made out of Christmas tree parts. This is much less expensive to ship and will last the whole season, bringing the smell and feeling of the holidays to your home without the environmental impact.
No matter how you decide to solve the Christmas tree debate in your household, it's wonderful that you're thinking about these issues and trying to decide what is best for you and the planet.
