Xmas Tree Options

[karenM]

For many years now, we've bought Christmas trees from a school organization my kids were involved in. But this year, I'm considering an artificial tree. And I have questions:

If I get a pre-lit tree, how long do those lights generally last? Can the lights be replaced (individually, or altogether)? If I go with an artificial tree, I want it to last for a good long time!

Also, I'd really like to get opinions on artifical versus cut trees, environmentally speaking. A live tree is out of the question, as I live in a condo with no place to plant a tree. (Unless there are places that will rent me a live tree, and take it back for planting after the holidays!) The cut trees we purchase are trucked in to Southern California from Oregon. We do have local tree mulching/composting programs in our area, so landfill usage isn't an issue with cut trees that our family uses.

Any help or advice will be much appreciated!

[marleah]

I read an article in Vegetarian Times some time back that talked about this. They said that since the trees are typically farmed, that a cut tree is more environmentally friendly because an artificial tree eventually ends up in a landfill. The cut tree is basically recyclable.

Don't know what to tell you about the pre-lit trees. Some of them are really pretty though!

[Tesseract]

And yet so few real trees are recycled/composted. I see the trees filling the dumpster and put out for heavy trash pickup after Xmas every year and it makes me ill. One year, we took my FIL's van, crammed it full of about a dozen trees from the dumpster and took them to the tree recycling center. They told us not to do it again- we were only supposed to bring our own!

Anyway, our last artificial tree lasted 20+ years, and we just got a new one last year that I hope will last another 20+. It's prelit and the lights are regular lights where you can change out a single bulb. I think the string is just wired to the tree, so you could remove it if you needed to, but it would be a pain in the a$$. OTOH, we manually prewired our old tree, one string per section, and left it that way for a good 10 years without ever having a problem. It's bending and flexing the cords around every year that causes them to go bad.

[rainbow_clouds]

I read an article in Vegetarian Times some time back that talked about this. They said that since the trees are typically farmed, that a cut tree is more environmentally friendly because an artificial tree eventually ends up in a landfill. The cut tree is basically recyclable.
Huh? My parents have the same fake tree for 30 years.

[Tesseract]

Yes, but the problem inherent to a fake tree is that while it may last 30 years in your living room, it then lasts thousands of years in a landfill.

[marleah]

Huh? My parents have the same fake tree for 30 years.

Yes, but the problem inherent to a fake tree is that while it may last 30 years in your living room, it then lasts thousands of years in a landfill.

There are plenty of people who keep their artificial trees for several years, and that does help ... but eventually it ends up in a landfill. And there are plenty of people who get a new artificial tree every couple of years or so.

[veggiefriend]

Apparently, a Swedish study concluded that a real tree is five times more enviromentally compatible than an artificial tree kept 10 years.

http://www.valentine.gr/enviroment-chrtees_en.htm


I was somewhat sceptical (it was a florist site, after all) so I found this: the author's PDd in ecology and BSc in forest biology speak to his credibility.

http://doityourself.com/holiday/realorartificial.htm

(Plus a real tree smells so lovely...'nuf said)

[IamJen]

re: the live trees. I'd bet with some hunting you could find a place that would let you plant the tree. They do this a local shelter here, and we've planted them in the past at school. Churches, maybe the office of a charity you particularly admire, etc.

<<<loves the tradition of a live tree.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

My dad grows trees, so I have always had a fresh cut tree. I usually choose a "culled" tree that wouldn't be sold anyway.
It's a tradition I would find incredibly difficult to give up, regardless of the environmental impact, though I admit that lately it had weighed just a bit more on my mind.
I had never thought about the landfill issue for fake trees - we have friends who toss their fake tree every two or three years!!
Being that this is the Northwest, it seems like a large percentage of people DO get real trees, so the recycling program is pretty aggressive and fines for putting them in your trash are another incentive to recycle/mulch them.

I feel a whole lot better about my Chistmas tree choice, thanks for the links.

[Poppy]

Our local elementary school rents a chipper and recycles Xmas trees for it's annual supply of pine mulch.

[oriecat]

Also tree farms are not nearly as harmful to the land as other agricultural products. So if trees weren't being farmed, they might use that space for other crops that turn over every year instead of 8 or 10 or however long it takes the trees to grow. And the growing trees provide habitat for birds and animals.

[inie]

My dad grows trees, so I have always had a fresh cut tree. I usually choose a "culled" tree that wouldn't be sold anyway.
It's a tradition I would find incredibly difficult to give up, regardless of the environmental impact, though I admit that lately it had weighed just a bit more on my mind.
I had never thought about the landfill issue for fake trees - we have friends who toss their fake tree every two or three years!!
Being that this is the Northwest, it seems like a large percentage of people DO get real trees, so the recycling program is pretty aggressive and fines for putting them in your trash are another incentive to recycle/mulch them.

I feel a whole lot better about my Chistmas tree choice, thanks for the links.

If the trees are grown for this purpose, the environmental impact is probably very small, because the tree will be replaced.
And, it is possible to replant the tree, but not always. We planted a few in my grandparents garden, some didn't make it, but a few grew into very beautiful large trees:)

[karenM]

Okay, I think I'll look for a live tree and someone to plant it when we're through using it! And if that doesn't pan out, it'll be a cut tree. Thanks for all of the input, folks!

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Mmmmm... just got our tree... it smells SOOOO wonderful! Sorry all you artificial tree fans - nothing beats this!

[MollyGoat]

We're going to get ours this weekend. I can't wait!

I'm glad to hear that a real tree is considered more enviro-friendly. I can't stand artificial trees...I would rather have nothing. A fake tree seems so contrary to the spirit of the ritual, somehow....

[Chook]

I've ordered a fresh tree from Oxfam and they'll deliver it on Saturday. I'm going to be out all day rehearsing for a couple of choirs so I'll leave a bucket of water on the verandah for them to pop it in. It'll be like the Christmas tree fairy has been while I'm out! :angel:

[ilovemydragon]

I've ordered a fresh tree from Oxfam and they'll deliver it on Saturday. I'm going to be out all day rehearsing for a couple of choirs so I'll leave a bucket of water on the verandah for them to pop it in. It'll be like the Christmas tree fairy has been while I'm out! :angel:

Make sure you cut the bottom anyway. It doesnt take long for the cut trunk to seal up.