Each year, getting a fresh tree is part of a holiday tradition. But is getting a new tree every year more environmentally friendly compared to reusing a fake one? To help us break down what is best for Wisconsinites, Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by Stefan Schnitzer, a professor of ecology at Marquette University.
"The choice of whether to get an artificial tree or a real tree — if you're a Wisconsin resident in particular — is easy if you're thinking about the environment: It's a real tree," Schnitzer says. "If we were in a different state, we may be having a slightly different conversation, but in Wisconsin, there's a lot of Christmas tree farms."
Real Christmas trees are a relatively sustainable resource, he says. Christmas tree farms typically replant around three or four trees for each tree they cut down, and the trees pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Real Christmas trees are also compostable.
Artificial trees, however, can't be recycled and often end up in landfills. They require iron for their metal stems and petroleum for their plastic needles. They usually have to be shipped from China and trucked to stores in Wisconsin, so they generate more emissions than folks driving to their local Christmas tree farm.
"If you do have an artificial tree, you shouldn't immediately throw it away and start buying real trees," Schnitzer says. "The best thing to do is to keep using it year after year until it no longer functions."
Keeping a Christmas tree for around five to 10 years can reach the same net impact as buying a real tree each year, Schnitzer says.
If you still have a natural Christmas tree in your home, he recommends the City of Milwaukee's Christmas tree disposal service, which ends Jan. 31. Remove all the ornaments from the tree, bring it to the curb and call 414-286-CITY. The city will pick up, shred and compost your tree.
