Following a survey conducted by The Irish Christmas tree Growers in December 2013 a startling statistic emerged. Nearly 60% of people who buy (and have always) a REAL tree think that plastic trees are more environmentally friendly!!! As a result the IRISH CHRISTMAS TREE GROWERS are getting their LOVE A REAL TREE project up and running.
This week they are rolling out the new website www.lovearealtree.ie in time for Christmas.
Lots of useful information on facts and figures behind the production of real trees and helpful hints on caring for the cut tree.
A plastic tree will last for between 5 and 6 years in your home/sitting room/attic before it begins to look like a scarecrow BUT it can take up to 6000 years in landfill to break down completely.
In Ireland every time a Christmas tree is harvested another one is planted … with all the associated benefits to the environment.
From Harry Wallop Consumer Affairs ….The Telegraph
Artificial Christmas trees, which have become increasingly popular over the last few years, have a carbon footprint at least ten times larger than a real tree.
Buying a 6 foot fake tree, made from plastic, is as damaging to the environment as toasting 5,222 slices of bread or driving 120 miles in an average-sized car.
A real tree of the same size creates carbon emissions the equivalent of toasting 418 pieces of bread and driving less than 10 miles.
The advice to shun the white, black, pink and glittery artificial trees that are being sold by supermarkets and department stores comes from the Carbon Trust, a Government-funded company which advises the public sector and businesses about how they can cut down on their carbon emissions.
Its advice about trees comes as part of some “top tips for cutting out our carbon impact over Christmas without cutting out the festive fun”.
Some otherfacts
It takes 700 years to break down a plastic bottle. The Organic Movement
‘While it seems logical to presume that artificial trees are the best choice given that they are used several times instead of just once; by digging deeper into the manufacturing process, you soon realize the eco-disadvantages. Artificial trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (or PVC) which is one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic.
When it comes time to eventually replace an artificial tree, they cannot be recycled. Instead they will be taken to landfill where they never break down and take up scarce landfill space which has increasingly become a more significant problem globally.
By comparison real trees are farmed and considered an agricultural resource, just like other farmed and agricultural products we rely upon for food. Christmas trees are grown on farms using sustainable practices and are harvested on a regular basis. Christmas trees are not killed as many would suggest and Christmas trees are not cut down from forests where trees were always meant to be’.
Eric Novak is the Creator, Principal Contributor and Executive Editor of ENVIRO DAD.COM. He is also the President and founder of Modern Media Perspectives.
