5 considerations for buying a sustainable Christmas tree

The guide compares the carbon footprints of plastic and real Christmas trees, highlighting that plastic trees generally have a significantly higher impact unless reused for at least a decade. It advises consumers to prioritize locally grown, FSC-certified, and organically grown real trees, while warning against the use of chemical fertilisers and the environmental costs of transportation and landfill disposal.

• Lifecycle analyses indicate that plastic Christmas trees have a carbon footprint between ten and 20 times larger than that of real trees, primarily because plastic is derived from fossil fuels and requires significant energy to manufacture.
• While real trees sequester carbon during growth, their environmental impact is increased by the use of fossil-fuel-intensive chemical fertilisers, machinery, and transportation.
• The environmental cost of real trees is exacerbated by monoculture farming, which necessitates the use of pesticides that harm invertebrates, and the potential displacement of more ecologically valuable land like peatlands or old growth forests.
• The method of disposal significantly affects the carbon outcome: chipping trees for mulch or compost stores carbon in the soil, whereas burning releases carbon into the atmosphere and landfilling releases both carbon and methane.
• To minimize environmental impact, consumers are encouraged to buy locally grown, FSC-certified, and organically grown trees, avoid plastic wrapping, or opt for timber-made alternatives and house plants to avoid new consumption.

APA

Caplat, P. (2021). 5 considerations for buying a sustainable Christmas tree. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/sustainable-christmas-trees-environmentally-friendly/

Chicago

Caplat, Paul. 5 considerations for buying a sustainable Christmas tree. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/sustainable-christmas-trees-environmentally-friendly/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Caplat |first1=Paul |title=5 considerations for buying a sustainable Christmas tree |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=17 December 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/sustainable-christmas-trees-environmentally-friendly/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{caplat2021considerations, author = {Caplat, Paul}, title = {{5 considerations for buying a sustainable Christmas tree}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/sustainable-christmas-trees-environmentally-friendly/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }