Christmas time is a significant contributor to our carbon emissions. With Christmas trees being a staple of most homes at Christmas, we discuss the carbon emissions associated with the disposal of your Christmas trees, real or artificial. As with other waste, we have produced a small Christmas tree hierarchy for disposal below. A waste hierarchy is a concept for prioritising waste prevention and management measures with waste avoidance and reuse at the top as the most preferred and lowest carbon waste management option and disposal at the bottom as the highest carbon emitter. In our waste hierarchy of real trees, replanting (reuse) of the tree is the ‘star’ and lowest carbon option, whereas landfill of real trees is the highest carbon emitting option[i]:
When purchasing a real Christmas tree, it is best to buy a rooted tree (locally), if possible, as this can then be replanted in your garden (if enough space[ii]) or can be given back to Christmas tree farms to be replanted by them. This relies on your tree being in a good condition to be re-planted or the tree may be composted if the condition is not good enough.
If you purchased a cut Christmas tree, composting or chipping the tree for use is the next most beneficial in terms of carbon emissions. Chipping and mulching (if utilised) has negligible CO2 e/year emissions (if chipped using renewable power)[iii][iv][v].Composting is also a good way to dispose of your Christmas tree, you can do this through at home composting or through council waste collections of trees. A less carbon friendly option (but better than landfill) is burning your tree, as this emits around 4kg CO2e, however this must be done safely and adhere to your local rules on bonfires.
Landfilling the tree is at the bottom of the hierarchy as the worst option, emitting the most carbon at 16 kg CO2 for a 2m tree. The anaerobic conditions of landfill result in carbon being released as methane, which is more potent than CO2. Around 5.1 million real trees are sent to landfill each year, this can emit 82,560 tonnes of CO2e / year in the UK[vi].
According to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, for every tree which is cut down another seedling is planted. This results in an industry which is low carbon as it offsets significant quantities of CO2e in the land management. The growing of Christmas trees also plays a vital role in forest restoration, habitat creation and improving biodiversity despite their monoculture, and can be more beneficial than grassland or other forest habitats.[vii][viii][ix]
So, what about artificial trees?
Artificial trees are made up of commonly polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride and metal and therefore are energy intensive to produce and often involve large distances for shipping[x]. A 2 m artificial tree has a carbon footprint of 40kg CO2e when thrown away, this would require the tree to be used over 12 times to have similar emissions to that of a real Christmas tree as artificial trees are largely manufactured from plastic. Shockingly 14% of people bin their Christmas trees in any given year, meaning most trees probably aren’t used the minimum of 12 times to make then more sustainable.
Other ways to reduce your carbon footprint this holiday season is reuse all that you can, the tree as above, gift bags, wrapping paper (if largely intact), and ribbon. To reduce your impact, it is also important to purchase recyclable products and recycle them where you can and importantly try and eat all your leftovers in the post Christmas period.
Christmas trees in the grand scheme of things are quite low carbon individually, but being a staple in most houses during December means that the carbon adds up and they can have a significant impact. So, if more people made to the change to have a more sustainable Christmas and brought locally grown, potted Christmas trees and these were replanted, large amounts of carbon could be avoided. If you already have an artificial tree, make sure to use it as long as is practical for it to be a sustainable option.
Have a very Merry Christmas from the team at Credibly Green.
[i] Ensure you have enough space for root growth if planting at home.
[ii] https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/why-never-to-plant-a-christmas-tree-in-your-garden-and-what-to-do-with-it-instead
[iii] https://carboncredits.com/christmas-tree-carbon-emissions-the-real-vs-fake-breakdown/
[iv] https://blog.re-cinq.com/posts/christmas-tree/
[v] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221213-why-christmas-trees-may-be-good-for-the-environment
[vi] https://www.gwp.co.uk/guides/christmas-packaging-facts/
[vii] https://www.bctga.co.uk/mediapage/Christmas-Tree-Fun-Facts
[viii] https://carboncredits.com/christmas-tree-carbon-emissions-the-real-vs-fake-breakdown/
[ix] https://www.inverse.com/science/real-artificial-christmas-trees-environmental-impact
[x] https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/real-or-fake-the-environmental-impact-of-christmas-trees
