Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sustainable Christmas Trees


   You’ve done as much as you could: bought local gifts, avoided items requiring batteries, donated reusable toys, and wrapped everything in newspaper or old calendars and magazines. You made your holiday season as eco-friendly as you could. But there is one thing that still irks you: what about a sustainable Christmas tree?

    Reducing the environmental impacts of the mass cutting of trees may seem difficult. Some people believe that purchasing an artificial Christmas tree is the answer. However, most plastic trees are made in China from petroleum products (PVC) and involve manufacturing and shipping. If an artificial tree were reused for 20 years, its use would offset the impacts of cutting down one Christmas tree. But most often, plastic trees are reused 2-6 years before they are discarded because they are no longer attractive. Many artificial trees are tossed into landfills where their plastic will keep forever.

Image of  live potted Christmas tree
from 1st-ecofriendlyplanet.com.
    Thus, a live tree is still the more sustainable option. To further its use, purchase potted trees, which can be reused for 2-3 years before they have to be repotted in larger containers for more use or planted outside. 

     Keep the tree indoors for ten days at most. Place a plastic saucer with wheels under the pot for easy transportation. The saucer is available at nurseries. Keep away from heat, and water it regularly. An efficient way to keep it watered is to place two trays of ice cubes on top of the soil, and as they melt, the water will continue to trickle through the soil down to the roots.

     Once it is time to move the tree outdoors, first move it to a cooler place like a garage or porch for a few days of transition. Then, find a safe spot outside where the rootball will not freeze. The tree will need watering when the first two inches of soil feel dry. Give it organic fertilizer in the spring, and then plant it in a garden or some place where its projected growth will not hinder buildings, power lines, or underground facilities.

     If you would also like to give the gift of a tree this year, American Forests plants a tree for every $1 donation to the GlobalReLeaf program (americanforests.org).

    Now that your sustainable tree stresses have been lessened, enjoy your eco-friendly holidays!

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