Real or artificial Christmas tree - which is more environmentally friendly?

Created: 12/08/2022, 10:00 am

By: Anne Hund

When it comes to the question of which Christmas tree to put in your own home, opinions differ.

Plastic, real fir or organic, the range is large.

Which Christmas tree should it be please?

Opinions differ on this question.

While some people absolutely want to have a natural tree in their living room, others tend towards a plastic tree that doesn't need needles and that you can simply get out of the basement next year.

What about environmental compatibility?

You should know that there are big differences in conventional Christmas trees.

Many commercially available Christmas trees grow in large plantations in Germany.

The rest is often imported from Denmark.

In 2020, the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) had Christmas trees tested for residues of almost 140 pesticides.

The laboratory found what they were looking for in 14 of a total of 23 trees tested, as the BUND announced at the time.

Which Christmas tree should it be?

The purchase decision is often not easy.

© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa

Benefits of Organic Christmas Trees or Local Trees

BUND recommends certified organic Christmas trees or a tree directly from the forester or forest owner.

Here you can find out what else to look out for when buying a Christmas tree.

The only thing that is really climate-friendly is a Christmas tree that comes from the region and whose wood or wood chips are used for furniture or building materials after the festival, according to a current report by the German Press Agency (dpa) on the subject: The Naturschutbund Deutschland (Nabu ) advise when buying spruce, pine and silver fir from thinning measures or from special forest locations such as under high-voltage lines.

Because these usually untreated trees would have to be felled anyway.

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Buying a Christmas tree: Conventional or ecological?

What about the life cycle assessment of plastic trees compared to conventional Christmas trees?

The science

back in 2018 and came to the following conclusion: "Real Christmas trees are ahead of plastic firs in the ecological balance sheet." Studies have shown that artificial fir trees - depending on the manufacture and country of production - would have to be set up for 17 to 20 years "until they ecologically amortize themselves “ had.

The studies are based on various assumptions, such as the path of the natural fir tree from the dealer to the owner, which was estimated at five kilometers.

"According to the studies, a natural tree produces around 3.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide, while a plastic fir tree produces 48.3 kilograms of CO2," the portal said at the time about the background.

The disposal of the plastic fir tree or the Christmas tree decorations would not be taken into account.

A real advantage of a real Christmas tree is

"that it grows for eight to ten years, so it can store CO2 during this time".

This advantage does not exist with a plastic fir.

O Tannenbaum: The ten most beautiful types of Christmas trees

View photo gallery

Buying a Christmas tree: When is an artificial tree worth it?

Nevertheless, an artificial tree can also be worthwhile if it is used long enough, as dpa reports: "According to calculations by the Ellipsos Institute in Montreal (Canada), it would have to be used for at least 16 to 17 years for the ecological balance to correspond to that of a natural tree". , according to the news agency.

The average plastic tree comes from Asia and, according to the Canadian scientists, causes around 48 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) during production, transport and disposal, the report goes on to say.

"This compares to 3.1 kilograms of CO2 in natural trees." The British company Carbon Trust also came to a similar conclusion.

Buying a Christmas tree: Real fir, organic or rental Christmas tree?

Which Christmas tree it should be ultimately remains an individual decision.

The classic among Christmas trees in Germany is the Nordmann fir with a market share of over 80 percent, reports dpa.

It is said that it is particularly beautifully green and does not shed needles.

Behind are blue spruce, red spruce and other species.

Although organic trees often do not grow perfectly, they are not sprayed.

There is another alternative: many dealers also offer Christmas trees for hire instead of felled firs and spruces.

After Christmas, the trees will be planted again.