Is there an eco friendly artificial Christmas tree?

[questions]

There is always a debate at this time of year about real Christmas trees vs artificial Christmas trees. From what I can gather, an artificial Christmas tree is much less expensive since you can buy one and use it for 10 years or more, but most are made in China, may have harmful chemicals and are not eco friendly. Does you know of a compromise in the middle? Is there an artificial tree that is not made of petroleum based products so that it can be recycled. This would be the best of both worlds -- less expensive and eco friendly. Does such a Christmas tree exist?

[Shewillbemine]

I don't think there's going to be a 100% win either way. Though I LOVE natural trees, you'd have to convince me pretty badly that buying a natural tree every year is NOT more damaging to the environment than buying an artificial tree you put up for the next 10-15 years.

You use gas to get to the tree lot, usually a larger, gas guzzling vehicle. Those natural trees have to be raised somewhere, and it ain't a forest. That means a much larger carbon footprint. When thrown out, waste management companies have to send extra trucks to pick up the excessively large, massive numbers of trees thrown out in January. Those trucks use gas too.

As long as you aren't buying a new, artificial tree every year, I'd say it's the better environmental choice.

[bjl584]

The most eco friendly thing to do is to probably buy a real tree. Real trees are grown on a tree farm specifically for the purpose of being cut down and used for Christmas trees. Fake trees are made from metal and plastic and go through all of the manufacturing and production processes that typically make an environmental impact.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

In the 1960's my grandmother had a tabletop "tree" made of white chicken feathers glued to some sort of frame. I've seen them again in magazines in the last few years. You could make one yourself, using a heavy cardboard tube (but that's made from wood anyway) as the central support. There is probably one you can purchase, but I bet it would have a styrofoam center, so not what you are looking for. After some years' use it would be compostable. Feathers are high nitrogen and are a component of one of my favorite commercial natural lawn fertilizers.

Or, you could grow your own evergreen in a pot and just bring it inside for a portion of the Christmas season. Dwarf Alberta spruces have a beautiful shape, grow slowly so as not to need frequent re-potting, and do well in pots as long as you keep them watered. They also do well in a large span of temperature zones.

In the last few years, I have just decorated a fallen deciduous branch. Mine hangs on the wall over the living room sofa. After the season, it goes back outside where I found it. But I am not trying to meet anyone's expectations of a traditional Christmas, just enjoying a little shiny-shiny and a nod to the custom.