With Christmas just around the corner one question should loop in all eco-friendly minds: what is the greenest Christmas tree we can get?
With Christmas just around the corner one question should loop in all eco-friendly minds: what is the greenest Christmas tree we can get?
Artificial tree ‘supporters’ take issue with cutting down trees for festivity, while advocates of real trees argue that a plastic alternative could never be green.
It’s a never-ending debate, but we do have few eco-friendly suggestions.
Like why not get an actual, living tree?
You can purchase a potted one or buy a tree and plant it in a big pot yourself. Then keep using it year after year, and eventually find a spot for it in the garden.
Another very green alternative is a felled tree. Not any tree, but a pine tree.
According to the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, pine trees are a category 2 invasive plant in South Africa.
So, if you remove it from a roadside you're also helping the local roads department keep the verges clear of an invader species.
If you're still sold on keeping an artificial tree, then try to keep it as long as possible.
Researchers say it takes 20 years to make having an artificial tree more eco-friendly than using real trees.
Regardless of whether you choose a living or plastic tree, there are ways to make sure your evergreen is truly green: buy real trees locally, make sure they're grown pesticide-free, recycle, and keep one tree as long as possible.
