But eco lifestyle magazine Pebble noted “they take five times more energy to produce” and are made of “non-renewable plastics and petroleum-based products”. The environmental impact of an artificial option used over many years will be less than buying commercially grown trees each year, the Carbon Trust advised. Whether a fake Christmas tree is a good alternative is debatable. Springing up around the UK, the schemes allow customers to rent a tree from independent growers for a fixed period before it is collected and taken care of until the following year. Burning a tree is another option, as the only carbon emitted is the CO2 it stored while growing.įor those who don’t have the space or green-fingered skills to keep the tree alive for another 12 months, a rental scheme is a good option. Replanting your tree or turning it into chippings for the garden can reduce the carbon footprint by as much as 80%. And as it decomposes, it releases methane gas, “which is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide”. “Every year up to eight million Christmas trees are bought in the UK,” said Yahoo News, “and around seven million of those end up in landfill.” A dumped tree without roots has a carbon footprint of 16kg of CO2 emissions, according to the Carbon Trust. Try “shifting focus” rather than “removing things”, and opt for eco-alternatives where possible.įrom tinsel to table dressing, here are some of the top tips for an eco-friendly Christmas. But “what to do without being a Grinch”, asked Francesca Steele at the i news site. Christmas recipe: plant nut roast with cavolo nero and apple cranberry compoteīetween the gifts and the food shopping, it’s easy for the waste to accumulate over the festive period.Unique Christmas gifts for those who have everything….