For several years I wrote ‘Green Christmas’ letters or press
releases. It was a sure fire way to get newspaper coverage and then radio
interviews. In fact, one year I did a pre-Christmas and a post- Christmas and New
Year radio interview. Now everywhere is full of ‘Green Christmas’ pointers and
the message has lost its distinctiveness. But one major Green dilemma remains –
the Christmas tree.
What do you get: a living Christmas tree, a natural but cut
down Christmas tree or an artificial one?
A living Christmas tree to be planted out afterwards sounds
very green at first. But think of the environmental impact of the monoculture plantations
where they are grown. They are also the most expensive option. When my children
were small I couldn’t afford a living tree – besides we were in rented accommodation
and the landlord probably wouldn’t have appreciated a Christmas tree plantation
in the back garden. That’s another disadvantage – who has acres of land to
plant them all out every year?
Mostly we bought a chopped down natural tree. Local Councils
are now very clued up about recycling natural Christmas trees – although you
could use yours to make your own mulch instead. Then one year a friend gave us
the artificial tree she was otherwise going to throw away. Now that is truly
green. We could save a tree from being thrown away and save money by not having
to buy one every year. Reuse is always better than recycling.
What is your
solution to the Christmas tree dilemma?
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