Think ethically this Christmas – Maddy Fitch
As we edge into the festive season, immediately the annual trend Christmas trees springs to mind. Now, I am aware that not much beats buying a 10 ft Nordman Fir, but I beg that you consider the environmental impacts of your purchases.
Every year, 250 tonnes of Christmas trees are discarded to landfill sites- that’s about 6 million trees cut down annually!
Let’s not forget about the fake firs: if you’re planing on buying a plastic Christmas tree, make sure that you’re happy to keep it in the long run; it takes 20 years of owning the tree for it to actually become the ‘greener option’. This is because an artificial tree has a carbon footprint of 40kg CO2e, which is more than twice the amount real trees on landfill, and ten times the footprint of real trees being burnt.
So what is the alternative for those who don’t want to dramatically increase their carbon footprint this year? Well, you can always RENT a tree .
Love a Christmas Tree is just one of a small amount of start ups that are offering customers the chance to rent a Christmas tree this festive season. Essentially, they rent you a Christmas tree for 20 days and then take them back to be re-planted. It is a real tree, but without any of the waste.
These niche businesses have exploited the gap in the ‘Christmas tree’ market that targets the conscious customers that recognise the environmental impacts of buying new trees every year. Whilst this market segment is currently small, the paradigm shift of consumers to more ethically sourced goods is picking up momentum, so expect to see more of these Christmas tree suppliers appearing near you.
However, if I have not convinced you to rent a tree, I have a few more options to enable you to have a eco-friendly Christmas.
- Buy a sustainably sourced tree
Aldi are selling trees that are sourced from Lovania; founded in 1980, the brand grows and supplies 500 million plants to over 1000 businesses annually. Also, for every Nordman Fir Christmas tree chopped down, 3 are planted. Reasonably priced and responsibly sourced; these trees are a great option.
https://www.aldi.co.uk/christmas-tree-supplier
2. Use plant-based glitter
Even though we may not be having massive Christmas- themed parties, instead of buying the plastic stuff, use plant based glitter that is bio-degradable
3. Eco-friendly crackers
4. Re-used gift wrapping
So, instead of investing in all of the plastic this holiday season, try and think ethically when buying your decorations this year.
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