Here is an idea for making this Christmas fun & earth friendly. I want to talk about Sustainable Christmas trees. If you are planning to get one this year, keep reading before you make that decision.
Christmas trees add a lot of cheer and it’s fun to decorate a tree. When we as a family gathered for Christmas, my my sister-in-law and the kids would decorate the tree together. She would make a big deal out of it – with jazzy lights, music and a lot of dancing. We would make decorations out of toilet rolls and hang up a lot of baubles.
But let’s talk about the tree that takes centre stage in these proceedings.
What is a Sustainable Christmas tree?
A sustainable Christmas tree is basically a tree that’s been handled in a way that’s good for the planet. You’ve got a few options here.
First off, there are real trees from farms that grow them responsibly, like planting more trees than they cut down and avoiding nasty chemicals.
Then there are potted trees you can keep alive and plant later.
And if you’re into artificial trees, there are ones made from recycled materials that aren’t too bad for the environment.
But there is another way to do this too.
Why do we need a greener Christmas tree?
A Christmas tree’s life in your home is for about 3 weeks or so. This tree becomes the centre of attention for this short period and then abandoned on the pavement to be collected.
According to the BBC, 6 million trees are cut and thrown out every year. There is a big environmental footprint that’s associated with growing new trees. These tree farms grow these trees together and no other plants / trees are grown along with it. This is known as mono-cropping. Sometimes, these trees are not even indigenous varieties. These factors cause a lot of damage to the local eco-system. Bees, insects and birds are dependent on diversity and indigenous plants that grew there before, struggle with these mono-crop farms.
What can you do instead?
You have 2 choices: Buy or rent a living Christmas tree.
Buy: Buy a living Christmas tree in a pot. This tree, while it’s inside your home, will not only add cheer, but also clean your air and provide clean air. Plants have a great way of giving back.
Rent: There are many small businesses that now offer a Christmas tree rental option. You choose the size of the tree, and they deliver a Christmas tree in a pot. At the end of the rental period, they will collect the tree.
A big advantage with both these options is that the tree doesn’t drop it’s needles. It doesn’t litter your floor.
Here is a website has quite useful and detailed in information on how to care for your living Christmas tree.
https://www.treehugger.com/how-care-living-christmas-tree-4858504
Some rental companies to get you started
UK wide delivery: Live Christmas tree rental – Good Elf
UK wide service: Christmas Tree Rental, Hire & Decoration Service • Inleaf
UK wide service: Christmas Tree rental services in the UK near you (simplyplantsuk.com)
Leicestershire: Love a Christmas tree
Ask around in your local plant shops, there will be providers closer to you.
Further reading
Here is a website has quite useful and detailed in information on how to care for your living Christmas tree. – https://www.treehugger.com/how-care-living-christmas-tree-4858504
Here are some interesting ideas and possible businesses we could use to reduce our waste.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35092589
And this Christmas, get into sustainable gifting. Check out our Eco-friendly sustainably made products
