It’s that time of year. January is here and it’s time to start thinking about taking down the decorations, especially the star of the show – the Christmas tree. I always feel this part of the New Year is the toughest, as you take down the festive lights and baubles, it feels like something is missing from your space.

The biggest problem many of us will come up against when taking down our Christmas decorations is how to get rid of the Christmas tree. And this is a significant and annual problem. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) suggest that approximately 6-8 million real trees are sold in the UK each year. That’s a staggering amount, especially when considering the need to remove these from our homes, en masse, in January.

For ease of reading, I’ll split this into artificial trees and living trees.

For those of us who have an artificial tree, you might think that it’s an easy job – just fold it down, pop it back in its box and into the attic until December rolls around again. It might be surprising to learn though, that some faux-tree owners don’t recognise that a fake tree is for life, not just for Christmas.

In 2017 alone, 10 million new artificial trees were bought by UK residents. I couldn’t find much detail on specific numbers of fake trees that end up in landfill, but Earth.org has done the maths and determined that, for every 2-metre tall artificial tree that ends up in landfill, the carbon footprint is  40kg of carbon dioxide (CO₂), this is compared to the carbon footprint of 16kg of CO₂ for a living tree in landfill. These numbers can vary, but it’s impossible to be 100% accurate, as it all depends on where the fake tree came from and what materials make up its components.

The debate for whether a fake tree or living tree is more environmentally friendly is still ongoing, but while the discussion continues, it’s important to not villainise those on either side of the discussion. Not everyone can afford or manage a real tree every year and not everyone likes the idea of an artificial tree. Financial strain, especially in the current cost of living crisis, as well as space can all factor into a choice for a real or fake tree. If your artificial tree is in use for at least 12 years, then you’ll bring down the carbon footprint of that tree to the same level, if not lower than that of an living tree in landfill.

So, the main take away here, don’t chuck your fake tree! If you really don’t want it, or it was a stop gap for you, consider donating it or reselling it. There’s a large market for false trees every year and many people will be eager to get ahead of the game by buying a second-hand tree to avoid some of the environmental impact of having a new one shipped next Christmas.

Okay, so what about those of those of us who had a live tree this year, me included? Now, before you jump straight to trying to hide it in your garden waste bin, or taking it to the dump, let’s consider what the impact of this could be.

We’ve already touched on the carbon footprint of a living tree in landfill earlier, but there is another carbon footprint to consider. While a fake tree can only really end up in landfill, there are lots of schemes going on across the UK helping with Christmas tree disposal. Many services help by chipping your tree and using those chippings for parks and forest areas which is fantastic, but not without it’s own carbon footprint. Earth.org suggests that chipping a Christmas tree will reduce its footprint from 16kg in landfill, to 3.5kg. Others are making use of your tree to further benefit the environment. In Cornwall, old trees are being used on beaches to prevent coastal erosion.

Knowing that you have options for disposing of your tree, why would you keep reading? Well there can be more to it than that and there are ways of gaining more personal satisfaction from disposing of your tree. Why not consider some of these options:

• If you’re a gardener, get your tree chipped up and use it as mulch on your garden paths or growing beds.
• Add  chipped wood to your compost heap. If you don’t garden, see if a friend or family member might want to use it for mulch.
• Build a bug hotel in your garden with the branches and trunk.
• If you’re an avid bird watcher – why not prop up your tree in the garden, cover it in peanut butter and seeds and attract more avian wildlife into your garden! If you’re worried that’s unhealthy for birds, Bird&Blooms explain why peanut butter is okay for them to eat.
• Cut and store the wood for outside firepits and bonfires. Surprisingly, burning a Christmas tree on a bonfire has a carbon footprint of 3.5kg (similar to chipping the tree), so much less than a tree in landfill.
• Use the tree limbs and trunk to edge garden beds and make for a rustic, natural look.

Personally, I’ll be making a few bug hotels in my garden from the branches and trunk, and I’ll likely chip what’s left for mulch for this year. I’m also eager to take to a bit of sewing and make some pine needle bags (similar to lavender bags) to keep my wardrobe and chest of drawers smelling fresh. Afterall, those needles are going to drop regardless.

This list isn’t finite and there are plenty of other ways you can recycle your tree this year, and make use of what’s left! Some of you may like the thought of these options, but not so much the extra energy or commitment that they involve, but isn’t that what this is all about? Shirking convenience to work towards a better, healthier future?

Its 2024 and now is the time for making a change, not just by shrugging off the habit of choosing convenient Christmas Tree disposal methods, but it’s also the time for being the person you really want to be and being the environmental change you want to see in the rest of the world. If you’re not too sure what other quick and easy changes you can make to be that change, check back with us on the weekend for some suggestions for Eco-Resolutions – it’s never too late in the year to start a new habit!