9 Sustainable Christmas Tree Ideas for Eco-friendly Celebrations

The holiday season is synonymous with joy, family, gifts and the iconic tree as a jovial lounge ornament. It’s not like Christmas without a tree! But as we revel in the festive spirit, it’s essential to consider the environmental impact of our traditions. In this guide, we’ll explore the choices between a traditional cut tree, an artificial tree, or opting for other types of trees. Are real trees truly better for the environment, or is it time to embrace the convenience of other alternatives? Let’s delve into the world of Christmas trees this year and unravel the eco-friendly options that align with sustainable celebrations!

The Dilemma: Real or Fake Christmas Trees? Which Option is Better for the Environment?

Every year millions of people around the world are faced with the choice of how to choose an eco-friendly Christmas tree. Should you buy a living Christmas tree or an evergreen fake tree? The choice involves considering various factors that contribute to its environmental impact.

Traditional potted trees are often grown on Christmas tree farms, where they absorb carbon dioxide and support local economies. Real trees help fight climate change so as long as they have proper roots and you can replant the tree, that’s a truly sustainable option. However, the environmental cost lies in their transportation, as these trees are often shipped long distances to reach consumers. In America, the National Christmas Tree Association offers a wholesale tree locator where you can find tree farms across the U.S. It is a great tool as you can choose the location near you lowering the environmental impact during transportation.

On the other hand, artificial Christmas trees are made of plastic, more precisely carbon-intensive polyvinyl chloride PVC and other non-biodegradable materials, have a high greenhouse gas footprint, and contribute to landfill waste as these trees are not recyclable. 80% of artificial trees are shipped out of China, the largest manufacturing country for the Christmas tree market.

9 Eco-friendly Alternatives to a Fake Christmas Tree: What are the Sustainable Christmas Tree Options?

Here is a suggestion for 9 plastic free Christmas tree ideas from do-it-yourself DIY options for crafty people, to renting, to some ready-to-buy options directly from the manufacturers available for shipping from different countries. In the next sections, we’re exploring sustainable alternatives to traditional Christmas trees and how they can enhance the joy of the season while minimizing our environmental impact.

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1. DIY Christmas Tree Ideas

If you need a new Christmas tree, you can also attempt to make one with what you have already:

Make a tree out of a wooden step ladder and a few decorations, like classic baubles, bells, snowflakes, or some Christmas-themed custom enamel pins, etc. (The video below will show you how easy it is! Or you can find more ideas on Pinterest)
Make a wall hanging Christmas tree out of different lengths of driftwood and sustainable decorations
Make one out of recycled bottles
Decorate an indoor or an outdoor plant

2. Rent a Tree

Renting a Christmas tree has become more popular in recent years and we like the idea of sharing resources as it’s one of the main principles of a well-functioning circular economy. Use can use a tree rental service to:

rent an artificial decorated Christmas tree for example for an office or commercial environment or
rent a living potted Christmas tree that can be returned after use.

With nothing going to waste, these options are environmentally friendly ways to bring the spirit of Christmas to your office or home. After the holidays, the trees grown in Christmas tree plantations return to their forest nursery, where they continue to be nurtured and produce oxygen, contribute to the ecosystem, and serve as wildlife habitat.

3. 6 ft Wrought Iron Ornament Display Christmas Tree

Are you looking for something different this year? Something that will last a lifetime and will surprise your family and guests? We found this gorgeous tree made of wrought iron components that will resist wear and tear over the years. The sturdy base provides a solid foundation that resists swaying and prevents falls. It’s available in gold or black colours.

Materials: wrought iron

Shop at Amazon

4. LakaLuka Nordic Design Laser Cut Wooden Spruce Christmas Tree

This tree is cut from 100% natural birch wood. It consists of some pieces that are easily assembled with included instructions. After Christmas you can store it flat under the bed or wherever you want without using much space. Then you can put it back together next year to use it again! Adding Christmas lighting makes it more beautiful as it glows beautifully in the dark.

Materials: 100% natural birch wood

Ships from: Greece

Shop at Etsy

5. Two Pcs Handmade Wooden Tabletop Christmas Tree

Are you looking for smaller festive decorations this year? Don’t go past these two hand crafted wooden tabletop Christmas tree options. These statues are 3-dimensional and hand made with mango wood. They will make every living room feel cosier and warmer! You can group them together to create a little forest for a festive feel with a few tea candles or you can separate them throughout your house to spread the Christmas spirit everywhere. They are also perfect as a centrepiece on your lounge table.

Material: wood

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6. It’s a Green Tree – Alberello Reusable Christmas Tree

It’s a Green Tree designed the Alberello in Brooklyn, New York because they were tired of seeing abandoned Christmas Trees on the sidewalks after the holidays. The Alberello is an elegant, sustainable, reusable holiday tree that arrives in a flat-pack and can be stored in the same box to be used again every year. It doesn’t have any disposable packaging making it a truly zero-waste Christmas decoration! It comes with everything you need to hang it from your ceiling, or you can also use a stand as shown on their website. A unique design and decoration that is has been patented in the USA and Europe.

Material: plywood

Ships from: the US or the UK

Shop at Etsy

7. Yelka Tree Wooden Christmas Tree

The Yelka Tree is minimal, modern and sustainable. The tree is very easy to assemble but also stable, so your cat won’t be able to knock it down. You don’t have to water it and it doesn’t shed any needles.
It takes up little space when the branches are arranged in one direction, or you can arrange the branches as you wish in all directions. When the festivities are over, you can easily disassemble it and store it until next Christmas in the box that came with it

Material: walnut, oak, maple, wood, wooden, steel, metal, wood oil, powder coat, jet black, pure white, pastel green, linseed oil

The branches are made of maple, that is sustainably forested and grown in Slovenia. The branches are finished with a couple of coats of oil to give the tree a nice and warm feeling. The trunk is a steel rod and the base a steel cross. The steel is painted with a powder coating process which is the most environmentally friendly type of coating and the finish is tougher than conventional paint.

Ships from: Slovenia

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8. Tahni Designs Modern Wood Christmas Tree

This Christmas tree design will make your Christmas celebrations special by building a dazzling ambiance. Every tree is handcrafted from start to finish, from ethically sourced steam-beached wood. It’s available in different sizes from 1.5 to 2 foot. The designer has more trees with different dimensions on their Etsy store.

Material: steam beach wood

Ships from: India

Shop at Etsy

9) Wall Hanging Christmas Tree made with Driftwood

If you are not great at DIY, you can order a wall hanging Christmas tree from Etsy that you can even further adorn according to your taste.

Material: driftwood or macrame

Ships from: Worldwide

Shop at Etsy

FAQs about Sustainable Christmas Trees

– What is the Carbon Footprint of an Artificial Tree?

According to the British Carbon Trust, a fake Christmas tree has a CO2 footprint of up to 40kg (88 lbs), and it needs to be reused at least 7-20 times depending on the weight and different materials in the tree to offset its own greenhouse gas footprint.

– What is the Carbon Footprint of a Real Tree?

As a comparison, according to data from the Carbon Trust, buying real trees has a different carbon footprint depending on what happens at the end of their life. If they are used as splinters for woodwork, mulch, compost or are burnt as firewood they have up to 3.5kg CO2 (7.7 lbs). However, if they are decomposing in a waste dump the carbon footprint increases more than four times to up to 16kg CO2 (35 lbs). Even better is if you can keep the tree by replanting it in your own garden. In that case, get a real tree!

– What is an Artificial Christmas Tree Made Of?

A synthetic Christmas tree is usually made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PE (polyethylene) materials, therefore virgin plastic.

– Real Christmas Tree versus Artificial Christmas Tree: What is more Sustainable? Assessing the Pros and Cons

The debate between real and artificial Christmas trees has been ongoing, with each option presenting its own set of advantages and drawbacks.

Real trees are biodegradable, support local agriculture, tree planting, and can be composted. However, they involve cutting down a living tree, which some argue is detrimental to the environment.

Artificial trees, while reusable, are made of non-recyclable materials and have a significant carbon footprint associated with their production as highlighted above. Plus, once they become old, they start to deteriorate and they start shedding the needles which break into microplastics.

– Why Does the Choice of a Christmas Tree Matter for the Environment?

The choice of a Christmas tree goes beyond mere aesthetics; it impacts the environment in various ways. Understanding the lifecycle of both real and artificial trees allows consumers to make informed decisions. By considering factors like carbon footprint, manufacturing, and disposal methods, individuals can contribute to a more eco-conscious celebration without compromising on the joyous spirit.

In the USA alone, according to nature.org, 10 million artificial trees are purchased every year, and many end up in landfills. From these numbers, you understand why it’s important before thinking about what to buy.

Conclusion: Don’t Buy a New Plastic Tree This Year!

Overall, these are our recommendations:

Tip 1: Utilize what you have already, as long as you can!
Tip 2: Buy second-hand, rent a Christmas tree, or buy one that can be replanted after the festivities, and
Tip 3: Be creative by adopting some of the DIY options we provided in this article or if you want something stylish and minimalistic that you’ll cherish forever buy one of the wrought iron or wooden Christmas trees we recommended above.

Whatever you decide, the most important thing to remember is not to buy a new plastic tree in line with a plastic-free Christmas! Also, you don’t need to buy new plastic baubles and tinsel, try to see if you can find some secondhand decorations or some made of other materials.