Real vs Fake Christmas trees: What should I buy this year?

With the holiday season well underway, if you are celebrating Christmas this year, you might want to purchase a real or fake Christmas tree. With benefits to both, we’ve put together this short comparison so you can choose which to have in your home this year.

Fake Christmas Trees

If you’re buying a Christmas tree every year for your home, as you can imagine, it can be quite costly. Buying a fake Christmas tree to last multiple years will bring the cost down and ensure you have a glowing tree every year that fits perfectly in your home. If you have pets in the household, a fake tree can be hugely beneficial to make sure there are no accidents with the tree (if your cat likes to climb or dog likes to scent, this can end up being a major problem)!

Although a fake Christmas tree may seem like an easier solution, it is worth noting the CO2 emissions from fake trees can be ten times the amount of a locally grown and sourced real Christmas tree. This is generally because of the materials used to make them and that they are mostly made and shipped from China. Due to the materials, most fake Christmas cannot be recycled and when they’re thrown away, they will most likely end up in landfill. ?A fake Christmas tree can omit up to 40kg of CO2 just by the production of making it.

Real Christmas Trees

Buying a real Christmas tree has a lot of benefits including making your home smell wonderful and ‘Christmassy’. You get to pick the perfect tree every year and your trip to find one will get you in the holiday spirit! But is buying a real Christmas tree worth it? If you are looking at throwing away a real Christmas tree after each year, its worth considering if a fake tree is for you and making it last for a long time to justify the sustainability factors between a fake and a real Christmas tree.

A real Christmas tree will expel up to 16kg of CO2 if it is thrown in landfill. This is lot less than simply making a fake Christmas tree, however, if you are throwing a real Christmas tree into landfill every holiday period, you might want to consider more sustainable options like re-potting, recycling or even asking a charity to pick up your tree once you are finished with it. If you are buying a real Christmas tree, you could also consider buying from a company that has locally sourced their trees from a sustainable tree farm. If you want a real Christmas tree and you have the means to recycle them each year, this can be a great option for your home.

Whichever tree you decide to buy, you can ensure your money goes to your local community to help. Shaw Trust garden centres are dedicated to giving back to the local community. The Shaw Trust garden centres are not-for-profit, and this year are stocking sustainably grown real Christmas trees in a range of different sizes. Pop down to your local Shaw Trust garden centre and chat to one of our expert colleagues to help you decide which tree to bring your holiday spirit this year!