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PrintO, Tannenbaum!
5 Ways to Green Up Your Christmas Tree
Photograph by guillermo perales/istockphoto
About 500 years before the plastic, pre-lit, pops-out-of-the-box special became popular, the custom of decorating Christmas trees was inaugurated in the Baltic country of Latvia. Today, our sentimental longing for the Christmas-y scent of fir in our living rooms might seem to clash with our eco-friendly values. But we can have our principles and our tinsel-clad tannenbaums, too.
1. Don’t fake it Buy a real, locally grown Christmas tree instead of an artificial one. More than 98% of real Christmas trees are grown on tree farms. Their stock is replenished yearly and our forests aren’t depleted. While growing, the trees produce oxygen and suck up carbon dioxide, helping to mitigate global warming. Artificial trees are manufactured from petroleum-based plastics and are usually shipped thousands of miles to reach your local store (most are made in China). Consumers use their artificial trees for an average of only six years. Then they are sent to the dump.
2. Go live If you have a large yard, buy a live evergreen with its root ball attached and plant it after the holidays. Choose the right species—Douglas fir and coast redwood do well in the Bay Area—and pick a small tree (no larger than five feet). Don’t keep it inside for more than a week. If your yard is not much bigger than a postage stamp, choose a live tree that doesn’t grow huge. Hang tinsel on a primrose, Brisbane box tree, rosemary tree, or fruitless olive, then transplant outside.
3. Choose organic If you’re concerned about the use of pesticides in Christmas tree farms, buy an organic tree (live or cut). They are available at farmers’ markets, Whole Foods Markets, and cut-your-own tree farms. Our favorite: Black Road Christmas Tree Farms in Los Gatos (408.354.8472).
4. Recycle cut trees Sure, it’s sad to see them lined up on the curb on January 2. But your tree’s branches will be used for landscaping and erosion prevention in your community. In the South Bay, simply remove all tinsel and decorations, cut your tree into five-foot or shorter lengths, and place it on the curb. Your local recycling company will whisk it away. Better yet, host your own mulching party: Get your neighbors together and rent a wood chipper. Mulch up everyone’s tree and divvy up the great-smelling woodchips for weed reduction and erosion control in your gardens.
5. Embellish with eco-style Two-thirds of American households buy new tree decorations every year. A better choice: Make your own out of glittery household objects or last year’s Christmas cards, or hold an ornament swap party with your friends: Everyone brings a few baubles that seem ho-hum after years of use (like that Mr. T ornament from 1983). What’s old and dull to you is a fun new treasure to me. Take the leftovers that nobody wants to your local thrift store.
Ann Marie Brown is the editor of Eucalyptus Magazine. Every December she decorates the 8-foot-tall saguaro cactus in her living room.
