Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a tree. But what is the most sustainable Christmas tree option? Is it better to buy a freshly cut tree every year, as around seven million of us in the UK do every year, or should we buy a fake one that we can reuse every year?
The answer to this question depends on the specific Christmas tree that you choose (real trees can be cut, potted, or container-grown, as explained in our Christmas tree buying guide), how your tree is transported, your plans for reusing it and the way in which it is disposed of.
We looked into the issue in a bid to find the most environmentally friendly Christmas tree.
Real Christmas trees – pros and cons
The British Christmas Tree Growers Association says that the majority of Christmas trees that we buy in the UK are grown in dedicated fields or on Christmas tree farms, and are treated like a crop – they are not felled from existing forests. Once a tree is cut down, it is replaced with a new seedling.
A Christmas tree can take around 10-12 years to grow to a height of six feet. During that time, it can provide a home for wildlife, especially native and migratory birds, and also species of conservation concern such as red squirrels and polecats. Christmas trees also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while growing.
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While the vast majority of Christmas trees are farmed on arable land, it could arguably be put to better use – for growing much-needed food, for example, or creating native woodland. However, according to a study carried out by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, linking arable areas used to grow food crops with patches of scrub and woodland, Christmas tree plantations contribute to the “green corridors” that encourage the free movement of many wildlife species.
Not all real, farmed Christmas trees are equal – there are several factors to consider when buying one.
Transportation can add to the carbon footprint of your tree, so try to buy one that is as local as possible to you.
The use of fertiliser can also affect a tree's carbon footprint. The Carbon Trust advises buying a tree that is slow grown, with minimal or no fertiliser – buy from an organic farm or retailer if you can.
Plastic mesh – if you buy a cut Christmas tree from a garden centre, bear in mind that it will likely have been wrapped in plastic mesh on its way to the garden centre, and will then be wrapped in plastic again for you to take it home again. If you can, avoid getting your tree wrapped and buy direct from a farm.
Disposal – the way in which you dispose of your tree is key. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association cites Carbon Trust figures that say that a natural two-metre Christmas tree without roots disposed of into landfill generates a carbon footprint of around 16kg of CO2. If the same sized tree was chipped to spread on a garden, it will have a carbon footprint of around 3.5kg of CO2 – four and a half times less carbon footprint. If your tree ends up in landfill, it will decompose and produce methane gas, ten times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Local authorities often offer a Christmas tree collection service. You can shred your own tree using a shredder, spreading the chips as a mulch or adding them to the compost bin. Burning your Christmas tree in a log burner or wood burning stove is a good way to dispose of a used tree and can reduce carbon emissions dramatically.
The most environmentally friendly real Christmas tree is...
A less well known but very sustainable Christmas tree choice is a container-grown real tree. A container-grown tree has been nurtured for its whole life in its pot and will last for many years – once the festive season is over, you can enjoy your tree outside all year before bringing it indoors every Christmas. (Pot grown trees should not be confused with "potted" trees, which have been cut and then put in a pot, and will not last beyond the festive season.)
According to the Carbon Trust, this spreads the carbon footprint over multiple years and avoids transport emissions by keeping the tree at the same property year-round. It says: "This makes them a more sustainable option if you’re after a real Christmas tree."
Look out for container-grown trees at garden centres early in the season – they are generally smaller than cut trees, at just a few feet. They tend to get snapped up quickly.
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Fake Christmas trees – pros and cons
Most artificial Christmas trees are made in China. They are made from plastic, metal and PVC and burn fossil fuels during their production. They are then shipped to the UK. As they are made from mixed materials, they can can be hard or impossible to recycle.
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According to the Carbon Trust, an artificial tree, used over multiple years (7-20 years, depending on the weight and materials used) is better for reducing emissions than buying a new, commercially grown tree every year. There is however, the issue of plastic or metal elements which, depending on their recyclability, could become waste.
Our advice
• If you already have an artificial tree, keep using it for as many years as possible before passing on to someone else to enjoy.
• Consider buying a real, container-grown Christmas tree that can spend most of the year outdoors, coming inside for the festive season every year. If you're short on outside space, you could rent a real container-grown tree locally.
• If you buy a real cut tree, source it locally and dispose of it carefully afterwards by recycling it with your local council, chipping it into mulch, or burning it in a log burner.
• If you would still prefer to buy an artificial tree, source it carefully and use it for as many years as possible.
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