OPINION

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By Maggie Rohr

According to Karen Zraick of The New York Times, “It’s the centerpiece of the biggest holiday of the year for many American families: the Christmas tree, the focal point for parties and presents, replete with favorite ornaments and lights.” Deciding whether to purchase a real or fake Christmas tree during the holiday season can lead to heated family debates.  

Kayli Shenk (‘21) and her family choose to purchase a fake Christmas tree. Shenk believes that people need to, “Stop normalizing Christmas-themed deforestation and get a fake tree that you can continue to reuse year to year.” Avery Ennis (‘24) also chooses to purchase a fake tree “because it will help the environment.” However, the belief that buying real Christmas trees is harmful to the environment is a common misconception.

An Upper School Match poll shared with students on December 3 had 108 respondents. Among those, 42.1% have artificial trees, and 57.9% have real trees during the holiday season. 

Image of Christmas trees being grown on a farm. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons user Cacophony.

Christmas trees are grown on farms especially for that purpose and are usually not cut down from forests. Christmas trees are beneficial to the environment while being grown because they clean the air and provide watersheds and homes for a variety of wildlife. Five to six-foot Christmas trees take close to ten years to grow, and once cut down are immediately replaced with a new tree. According to the Christmas Tree Promotional Board, “Christmas tree farmers make sure planting and harvesting are balanced to protect the environment. In fact, for every real Christmas tree they harvest, they plant at least one new tree.”

One the southern Gulf Coast, Christmas trees are recycled every January to curb coastal erosion. According to Louisiana’s Exotic Christmas Tree Plantation, real trees are, “placed in fenced areas to protect the coastline from salt water intrusion and to enhance sedimentation.” In total, 600,000 trees have been placed in the Louisiana marsh and span over 45,000 feet. 

Not only do real Christmas trees put people in the holiday spirit, but they are also an enjoyable family tradition. According to Bryson Raquet (‘21), “It’s always been a tradition in my family to go pick out a tree every year.” Olivia Nolt (‘21) says that “Our family has a multi-generational tradition of getting a real tree. We had a fake tree, but we switched back to a real tree, because my mom really likes the real tree smell.” Picking out a Christmas tree brings joy and happiness to many. Bjorn Petersson (‘24) enjoys purchasing a real tree every year because, “You can go out to the farm and choose one, and it is more satisfying to bring it home and set it up.” Real Christmas trees also provide a smell like no other. The smell of pine needles throughout the house is magical, and nothing comes close to the aroma of freshly cut Christmas trees. Instead of going to waste once the Christmas season passes, they are biodegradable and recyclable. According to Upper School English teacher and Match adviser Vlastik Svab, “I use mine for firewood after, so it doesn’t go to waste.” Being able to use your Christmas tree as firewood is one of the many perks of purchasing a real tree. 

Talbot Spraker (‘23) says that, “A huge reason my family chooses to use a fake tree rather than invest the time to get a short-lived real tree is the dropping of needles. Since fake trees don’t have needles, there is no need to spend time cleaning up.” Although many families find fake trees to be more cost-efficient, cleaner, and overall easier, fake trees can also be harmful to our environment. 

Artificial trees being sold in Target. Photo credit: Alicia and Ronnie Bruce.

In the United States alone, nearly 10 million artificial Christmas trees are purchased each year. 90% of artificial trees are shipped from China, which increases carbon emissions and resources and requires more energy to produce. Most artificial trees are made of metals, plastics, and often dangerous lead, which are hazardous materials that may end up in landfills anyway. Not only can some types of artificial trees lead to lead poisoning, but The Washington Post also reported that, “On the concrete floors of Zhang’s Shuitou Co. factory, migrant workers, most earning about $100 a month, squat in front of hissing machinery as they melt chips into moldable plastic.” Workers face horrible conditions and are making below minimum wage and working ridiculously long hours. The WAP Sustainability Consulting Company shares that, “one real Christmas tree generates fewer environmental impacts than one artificial tree.” Although artificial trees can impact our environment, they will have a smaller impact on the environment if they are kept for more than five years. Once the artificial tree breaks or becomes unusable, then there is no way to dispose of the tree without harming the environment.  

A study conducted by The National Christmas Tree Association found that real trees average around $78, and artificial trees average around $104. Although artificial trees tend to be more expensive, they can be reused from year to year, which ultimately ends up saving money. According to Brooke Mattingly (‘21), she chooses to use an artificial tree because “Artificial is easier to put up and cheaper, because you can reuse it.” 

People are very opinionated on the subject of artificial or Christmas real trees. Charlie Loach (‘23) says that “If you use a fake tree, I will personally write you a five-paragraph essay on why you are wrong.” However, Cami Villanueva (‘21) has, “allergies and prefer[s] not to contribute to the mass tree genocide during Christmas time.” 

Perhaps the sentiment can be summed up best by Molly Woods (‘22): “Fake trees= fake people. (I am kidding… but am I?).”

Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons user Tedder.