December 18
Green tips for the Christmas tree

A potted Christmas tree or a felled spruce from the forest around the corner? Creating a sustainable Christmas can sometimes be overwhelming with all the options out there. That's why we've put together some eco tips for Christmas trees in our 18th Advent calendar door.

Tip 1: Buy trees with an organic label

Certified organic Christmas trees are grown without the use of pesticides or mineral fertilisers. This is better for the environment.

Tip 2: Buy local trees

The shorter the tree's journey, the less fuel and CO2 is released into the environment. In other words, it's best to buy the tree locally, so you don't have to drive miles to pick it up.

Tip 3: Dispose of the tree properly

Most local authorities offer a Christmas tree collection service. Make use of it! The removed Christmas tree is often converted into district heating and electricity in biomass power plants.

Climate-friendly alternatives?

Plastic trees:
Due to the energy required to produce, transport and dispose of plastic trees, plastic trees tend to have a poorer eco-balance than real trees. Trees in pots:
Trees in pots are only sometimes a good alternative. The pot makes transport heavier and more energy-intensive. Further, the tree in the warm living room thinks it's spring and often doesn't survive the cold winter after the festive season. Additionally, if the tree hasn't spent its entire life in a pot, most of its roots will have been cut off before it was sold - to make it fit into the pot. So it's worth asking how the tree is grown.

Rental trees: The disadvantages of a rented tree are the same as a tree in a pot, but the carbon footprint is even greater due to the return transport.

Conclusion: Only people with green thumbs will be able to keep a tree in a pot alive after Christmas.  
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