The Great Christmas Tree Dilemma...

Ok, so we just got a fresh tree this year. For the first 7 years we used my Grandmother's old fake tree...but it shed more than any real tree could ever and I had no idea if it was full of lead or what! So we freecycled it - still had all it's pieces and it kept the tree from going in the landfill.

For the past three years we've gotten fresh trees. The first two years from a family farm - the organic tree wasn't as nice as the non-organic, but it was organic! and local! like winning the jackpot...

This year we ran out of time and went to a tree lot...in the dark...bought a tree...didn't realize the tree was spray painted until a few days later when I noticed the tree trunk was green as well...

So we can't very well compost that tree in the backyard...and it was expensive...hence the debate.

The hubby says buying a fake tree makes more $$$ sense. I say buying a real tree from a family farm is good $$$ for the local family, especially if they are raising the trees in an eco-friendly manner...

What is your take? What do you do? And how do you justify it as a good GREEN choice?

I'd love to get a plant-a-tree tree that I could plant after we use it to decorate it, but we don't have any land on which to plant it. I know there are other options...but which ones are the greenest?

Aside from having no tree at all, what do you do?

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3 comments:

  1. we too have settled for an artificial tree since we cant find an eco friendly option that workss for us

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  2. This is a debate we seem to have year after year. Although the decision for us is easy seeing that I'm allergic to real trees. I would like to say fake is more "green" in that you can use the same one year after year and you're not cutting down a tree, but then I think of how it's made and obviously real trees are much more "organic." I am not sure if there is a right answer to this one.

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  3. hence the 'dilema' part...there seems to be no real answer...

    I think for next year I'm going to find a tree to plant and just keep it in the house all year round. Makes clean air, right? ;)

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