Real or fake pine trees both affect the environment.

Christmas is one of the biggest holidays of the year and the Christmas tree has become an indispensable symbol. In many countries around the world, especially in Europe and America, the pine tree also represents rebirth and strong life in the cold winter.

Accordingly, every time Christmas approaches, the pine tree market is bustling with customers. There are not only real pine trees but also fake pine trees.

Currently, there are no official statistics on the number of pine trees that people in countries around the world buy for Christmas, but the estimated number is up to hundreds of millions of trees each year.

According to the American Christmas Tree Association, in this country alone, the production of real pine trees is about 25-30 million trees/year. Notably, on average, a pine tree can be harvested after about 7 years of planting. Larger trees take nearly 15 years of care.

Consumer surveys show that 99% of Americans intend to buy at least one Christmas tree to decorate their home during the upcoming Christmas and New Year season. During this time, to save money, Americans often have to plan to go to farms early to cut their own trees instead of buying them at stores.

In the Vietnamese market in recent years, from November to before Christmas, real and fake pine trees are sold everywhere with prices ranging from several hundred thousand to tens of millions of VND/tree. Of which, a large amount of fresh pine trees from the Netherlands, Denmark, the US,... are imported to Vietnam to serve the Christmas shopping needs of the people.

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Not only in the world, pine trees are also sold in abundance in the Vietnamese market every Christmas. Photo: Construction Newspaper

At this time, real and fake pine trees with heights of tens of meters appear everywhere in restaurants, hotels, streets, shopping centers...

Many people are willing to spend a lot of money on pine trees because they are a symbol of Christmas, without realizing that whether they are real or fake (artificial pine trees), they all have certain impacts on the environment.

Fake Christmas trees are less environmentally friendly than real ones

Earth.org recently reported on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions when people use real and fake pine trees during the annual Christmas holidays.

Specifically, calculating the Carbon Footprint , a real Christmas tree typically generates about 3.5kg of CO2 if it is processed through shredding or burning after Christmas. If it is left in a landfill and decomposes, the emissions will increase to 16kg of CO2, four times more than if it is shredded or burned.

With artificial pine trees, many people think that they are environmentally friendly because of their reusability, but the reality is different. Evidence is given that a 2m high artificial pine tree can create 40kg of CO2 emissions when discarded. This means that the buyer must use an artificial pine tree for at least 12 years to achieve the same level of environmental friendliness as a real tree.

Meanwhile, to reduce the impact on the environment, real pine trees can be reused as wood, mulch or fertilizer. Some real trees are even placed at the bottom of ponds, rivers, or oceans to create new habitats for aquatic life.

Notably, real Christmas trees also absorb CO2 while growing, providing shelter for birds and animals. However, researchers are concerned that the trees are often harvested when they are young, not mature enough to maximize their CO2 absorption capacity.

In contrast, artificial trees are mainly made from PVC plastic and metal, which are derived from petroleum. Because they are not biodegradable and cannot be recycled, they add to waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and toxic chemicals.

Not to mention, the production process often takes place in developing countries and is then shipped to rich countries for consumption, significantly increasing emissions from transportation.

So whether you choose real or fake trees, you need to think carefully about how you can minimize your impact on the environment. Reusing, disposing of them properly, and supporting sustainable solutions will help make the holiday season more eco-friendly.

Ways to choose and use Christmas trees to ensure environmental friendliness:

- Buy used artificial trees: This will reduce the production of new plastic and reuse existing resources.

- Decorating live pine trees outdoors: This is a way to keep the tree intact in its natural environment, reducing the need for exploitation.

- Buy live plants in pots so you can replant them after Christmas, while also helping to regenerate the green landscape.

- Reuse the tree trunk: After the ceremony, the heat value of the tree should be utilized by burning it as firewood instead of throwing it away. In addition, the tree trunk can be turned into decoration or resting place for birds and small animals to contribute to creating a habitat for wildlife.

Super expensive price, nearly 150 million VND for a fresh Christmas tree . Stores are competing to sell imported fresh Christmas trees. Among them, there are super expensive types, up to nearly 150 million VND for a tree.