My Mom's plastic Christmas tree is about my age (30 yo more or less... I am 35 yo ) and decorations are everywhere between 30 and 10 years old... mostly because my country is not doing very well... mostly because there is no point in buying new things when you don't want to fill up space at home and make it overcrowded.... I have a very good example ✌🌟🌞🎆 what's said in the video just made think about the sustainability of it all... ✌
I don't mind reusing a plastic Christmas tree, we had ours for more than 10 years and if well kept when not needed it still really looks great everytime we put it up. What really irks me is those people buying new cheap Christmas decorations each year (Christmas lights, lanterns, balls and whatnots) even though the one they had in the previous year is perfectly working. There's nothing wrong with decorating but here in the Philippines where Christmas is like the biggest holiday of the year (aside from New Year), many people take this as an opportunity to boast their wealth by changing Christmas decorations each year. I believe that Christmas is more of a spirit rather than lavish decorations which will turn to waste after the celebration.
I completely agree, the holidays is about spending time with loved ones and getting into the cozy Christmas spirit, and sadly, Christmas is a prime example of the holidays becoming more and more materialistic. Honestly, it was a huge relief for both me and my family when we decided to scale waaaay down and focus on conscious consuming 🌿💚
Few years back my uncle was responsible for getting a natural Christmas tree for my family. When we arrived at his house we realised he was too drunk to get one. It was few hours left to the Christmas Eve and all the markets with Christmas trees were already closed so my dad just dig out a random tree from the garden. It wasn't even a fir or spruce but a thuja :'). It looked beautiful in the house and I'll never forget this one. Then thuja returned to the garden and lived happy ever after.
I live in the Netherlands, and I saw an initiative of an organisation that sells Christmas trees (still with the root system on it) that you can hand back in with them in January, and they will plant it back in their forest. Super cool I thought!
We live in rural Canada and there are thousands of tiny 2 foot spruce trees that grow along the rural roads that get cleared regularly by ditch clearing machines. We will cut one down and place it in a mason jar of water and add tiny reusable ornaments & fairy lights, and set it on a table🎄
We have some ugly thujas in our yard that we have been cutting down and using the last 3 years. They’re tall and skinny and I think they look way cuter inside than out in our yard. It’s great because they are free and we were planning on cutting them down anyway. When we lived in Phoenix we had a fake tree that I bought for $5 at a yard sale (fresh trees there didn’t travel very far as they can grow pine trees in Flagstaff, but I didn’t want to waste water keeping it green) it was constantly shedding plastic and I was happy to leave it with my roommates when we left.
I, myself, don't have a Christmas tree. I usually visit my parents around the holidays and they get a locally grown one (I live in Germany). After the Christmas season the community arranges pick ups and I'm pretty sure they get composted then. Also some tibit I wanted to share. Some communities take the Christmas trees and dump them in lakes and there they built natural habitats for fish and other animals to breed and lay their eggs. It's a win win situation.
I use a small potted tree, that lives on our tiny balcony. When christmas comes, I bring it inside for two weeks, and than it goes back. We used our first one for 5 years, but it has some issues now, so we will plant it at my boyfriend's parents's garden, and I hope our new tree will enjoy our company even longer. I couldn't give up the pine smell in the apartment. :)
I have a plastic tinsel tree from the 50s. My decorations are a real hodgepodge and include my grandmother's, ones I have made myself second hand finds and a couple of new buys (usually post christmas clearance items) that I bought years ago.
I use one of my house plants as my christmas tree. It is a tree but does not look like a Christmas tree and that is fine for me ! I live in a warm area and I don't really want to stock a fake tree so that is what I am doing for the last 2 years.
As always, love your impact videos! ❤️ We actually are renting a natural tree this year. It was delivered in the pot, with clear instructions on how to take care of it and make sure it survives the next weeks inside. Then after Christmas, it's picked up again. I am not sure how many trees actually do survive this period and how sustainable it is, also taking into account the delivery and pickup.
We only have a christmas tree every other year, when we celebrate christmas at our own place. I live in Denmark and get a natural tree grown locally. When christmas is over, we take the tree outside and let it naturally decay in the lower part of our garden. Deer, hares, hedgehogs, larvae and other natural occuring animals eat it or use it/live in it.
Love it about you that your opinions are always backed up by research. We’ve had our artificial tree for 17 years and it still looks great and will continue to be used. Otherwise I would probably buy a local tree and then plant it out in the garden afterward. Although I’m also tempted by sustainable wooden trees like yours…very sculptural 😍
I'm getting a real Christmas tree from my grandma's garden, here in Denmark. She's got several tall Normann Pine trees growing in her garden, that she then can trim and cut down, to a 2m size. The tree keeps growing, and the tree we get can get properly disposed of as well 🌲🎄
Second hand plastic tree for me (actually a family hand-me-down)! A real tree would be way too much of a hassle anyway living without a car to bring it home (which fuel should also be taken into the account of the footprint of the tree). Only downside for me of the classic reusable plastic tree is that it sheds microplastics a bit everywhere :/ But still better to use it than wasting it
Thank you so much for discussing this topic! My daughter and I have been wondering which is technically more sustainable. We have a fake tree with attached lights that we have used for around 6-7 years now, and it's still holding up. I intend to continue to use it and repair it along the way as best I can for as long as I can. I do live in a more tropical climate (Florida, US) so I'm not sure if I would be able to grow a tree in my backyard. However, when the time comes that my tree is beyond repair, I will surely do some research and see if I can find a more sustainable way to have a real tree. Thank you for taking the time to put together this video. I love your informational videos, they really do help and are appreciated!
Ah I miss living in Europe and having a real tree, the smell alone made Christmas. Now in Sydney I have a big yard and around this time of year when I'm pruning ill pick a nice looking eucalyptus branch or other native and bring that inside to decorate. Every year we have a new/interesting shape and after it goes into the chipper or compost. It also makes more sense in this climate.
I would prefer a real tree (love the smell). I live in Nova Scotia, so local tree farms are readily available. My municipality picks up trees curbside in January for using in compost, so they don't go to landfill. Sounds like a win. But, unfortunately, not having a car means I can't get one home. Too bad the tree sellers don't offer delivery. So, I have a fake tree that I've had for years and will have have for many more years.
My grandparents used the same Christmas tree for 20 years and passed it on to me! It still looks great. We like to stick with artificial since we can’t compost or use the wood where we are.
How about we skip both cutting down trees for a totally made up holiday AND the roses for valentines day (also a made up holiday)? I havent had a tree of either versions for more than 10 years and i really dont miss one. You can decorate your house very well without a tree as well if this holiday is really all about the decorations you.
That is an absolutely viable solution, and kudos 👏💪 however, when people click on a video of the expecting sustainable solutions, the only thing mentioned can’t really be “don’t do it”, I am here to create an overview of where the impact comes from and how to choose the best option for you - refusing to participate is always an option, but as far as tips go, I feel like I need to add more than that 😅🌿
We picked ours up second hand, they were going to throw it away because it was missing a screw for the stand. We just put another screw in and hey presto! It’s will be celebrating its 4th year with us this year and still looks great.
We built four years ago a ‘tree’ made of driftwood. We live in front of a beach, so it was very easy to find the material. Then we decorate it with decorations made of ceramic, metal, wool, wood… anything but plastic. We don’t use artificial lights, but candles that we simply light up the Xmas night, the last day of the year and so on. And I think it looks amazing, like yours!
i have build a tree like yours but out of branches collected in the woods with my parents; its even more beautiful than a real one once lit up, but it also still has this really natural feel, we have been using it for about 7 years now, my father doesn't get in trouble for buying the wrong tree anymore and we have established new family traditions around assembling it before christmas^^
One thing that i think you kind of overlooked, or went over light footed is the sole amount of pesticides and chemicals used in the production in christmas trees. Being a skilled forest technician, having worked with christmas trees and a being PBA in environmental management, i can ensure that it's not a small amount, and most conventional christmas trees is being treated several times a year till harvest. the ground around the trees are sprayed with herbicides to prevent plants with stiff growth from damaging the lower rings. the trees themselves are sprayed with insecticides to prevent pests from damaging and killing the trees and a lot of trees tops are treated with growth retardant hormones to prevent them from growing too fast vertically. Some trees are more resistant to pests, so they require less insecticides and fungicides than other species of christmas trees, but the use of herbicides is mostly uniform across the board. The discussion about environmental impact often ends up with discussing the carbon impact of the product, but for some products they might have a low carbon footprint (like locally produced christmas trees) but the impact is much more than the carbon footprint. especially in cases like these, the impact on the immediate environment like nature, ground water resources, runoff to waterways etc. plays a big role. A product is not more sustainable because it has a low carbon footprint if it in exchange poses a risk to the immediate environment and the ground water resources. if you want a real christmas tree, get a organic one, they usually dont use pesticides, or very few compared to conventionals.
We have been using a Norfolk Island Pine for many years. In the past, we have also used a small evergreen that we brought in from the garden for a short period. We love the symbol of a live evergreen tree during the Winter Solstice/Christmas/New Year season (not a decaying or fake one). Thank you for your channel. Very informative and you are delightful. Best wishes of the season!
When living with my family we were using a fake (cheaply made) christmas tree for 15+ years, and it held up beautifully. When I started living on my own, I bought an Ikea small (tabletop) fake christmas tree that looks really well made and realistic, have been using it since (4 years now) and I love it. Once I get a bigger apartment, I plan to buy a bigger realistic fake tree and take the one I own now to my office to decorate it there 🙂 I also don't like pre-lit trees because you can't replace the lights once they stop working. I know it's not exactly minimalistic and low impact but I really enjoy decorating for the season, and I opt for plastic trees because I hate seeing real trees thrown to the curb every January 6th 😕
We have had the same fake, plastic tree for almost 20 years and I love the tradition of putting it up each year. We tried a real, locally grown one once but didn't like it. Also, our cats like to climb the tree, so a real one could possibly hurt them.
I'm not a big fan of Christmas, as I find it so commercial and wasteful. Therefore, I do not decorate at all, so no Christmas tree. What I do love is to get together with family and friends and just enjoy each other's company, maybe having some dinner together, and that's just right for me. Back many years ago when my children were small, I bought a small, artificial tree secondhand, and we used it for many years. I believe I sold it in a yard sale eventually. :) By the way, Gittemary, I love your secondhand wooden tree! It's perfect. If I did decorate, I would go for something like that. ♥♥♥
As a south american girl my mind cannot understand that in the US people cut real trees for Christmas, as we saw in the movies, still such a weird idea to me, to have trees growing for years just to cut it, use it a month or so and get a new one each year ????? Well here in Chile we don't use real pinetrees since pines and timber damages the soil for the native trees, and also it would be so expensive an so much effort with the transportation, is a no no. My family had our plastic Christmas tree for 22 years but the last year really couldn't be fixed anymore so my mom bought a new one against my wishes , we didn't throw it out, it's in the attic but I wanna find ways to reuse it for making smaller decorations. Also the quality of the plastic Christmas trees got worse, our og tree base and tube was from metal and the new one is all plastic and looks less resistent. :c
I have a pretty sparse plastic tree that I got because I was tight for money but wanted the Christmas decorations. It's the third year, I have collected various decorations over the years from others getting rid of them. If my tree ever gives up I think I will try making one or get a real one.
We have an artificial tree 🌲 because my husband has asthma, so a real tree isn’t an option. We bought our tree 25 years ago and it’s still going strong. I’m trying to convince my husband that a wooden dowel tree would be lovely once our artificial tree is no longer reparable. He’s not yet on board, lol.
my family has had the same fake Christmas tree for over 30 years and it was given to us from someone that didn't want it anymore. we had a real one that was plantable for a few years but it always made a mess so we went back to having the fake one inside
Very cool video! I actually sold my full sized artificial tree last year. I still use my mom’s 15” tabletop tree(it’s over 30 years old!). I know at one point, the local IKEA sold live trees & they took them back to recycle into mulch. The NJ shore towns sometimes ask for live trees to help build up the beach area. I think decorating a tree in the yard has always been my favorite thing ever. Stay awesome Gittemary!!❤️❤️❤️
I'm quite literally obsessed with Christmas decorations, so I go a little bit crazy every year, although I try to be more sustainable each year. For any other holiday we don't use specific decor, so from November till February I embrace all things 'Christmassy'. We have both a fake tree and a natural one. I bought the fake one my first year at university, so it's the 9th year I've put it up and it still looks perfect, so I think I'll be using it for many years to come. We have a combination of both 'newer' bought ornaments (often as a souvenir from our travels or from Christmas markets, some also from regular stores and thrifting) and a looooot of hand me downs from my mom and grandma. A few years ago we found some balls that my grandma made in the seventies? eighties? with those traditional fabrics in bright red, white and green... they are so special to me since my Christmas obsession comes from both her and my mom. Every year when we put them up I get a little extra emotional. Although I do make efforts to be more sustainable every year during this period, at the same time I refuse to feel too bad about my decor, since it's the only occasion I truly get caught up in, and it gives me so. much. joy!! I wish everyone here happy holidays, a warm end of the year, a truly sparkly beginning of the next year. Thanks for all of your hard work Gittemary, and I look forward to any other Christmassy content from you!
Happy holidays to you too 😍 I can thoroughly recommend shopping Christmas decor second hand as well, the thrift shops are overflowing with winter decor, especially in the autumn 💪
We buy our Christmas tree in our village. We can even chop it on our own, if we wish to. They planted them on a little grass-area where I passed along everyday when i was in kinder-garden and primary-school. They don't use any pesticides or artificial fertilizer to grow them. When Christmas is over we will take it to a farmer nearby who is using our local garden-wastes to make biogas out of it.
I live in the wilderness of 🇨🇦 where I could cut down a pine or spruce tree literally a minute or two from my front door. BUT I have a hard time cutting down a real tree to use as a Christmas tree for just few weeks. PLUS… a real tree can often get sap on one’s tree ornaments. With all this said, I have a fake tree… it’s 30+ years old and I will continue to use it every year. I am fortuanate to have a basement to store such an item… lucky me!! This is a great video Gittemary. Thanks for sharing your festive knowledge. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🎄💚🎄. PS - I love your little wooden Christmas tree… like you, it’s incredibly charming and unique.
We got a big ficus alii as a houseplant and just decorate that little for christmas, but my grandma already threatened me that I will inherit her plastic christmas tree, and that's totally fine with me, it's actually quite pretty.
Ohhh! I moved from my childhood home this year so I was looking for a Christmas tree and found one that looks a lot like yours in Lidl! I love it! My sister then gave me her ornaments that she didn't use 🥂🌲 I did buy lights tho, so gotta work on that. But I don't really keep them on 😬 now I'm low key waiting for my mom to give up on her Christmas tree (it must be 20 years old at this point) so I can have it when I move to a bigger place 😅
My husband and I bought a fake Christmas tree 2018 and we will keep it forever. Like we keep the decorations forever. I still have my decorations that I bought 13 years ago, they are fine and I'm really attached to them.
That ist right, the tries mostly don't come from preexisting forest. BUT what does ist say about the value of a tree? The fact of being grown up intentionally does not make a thee worse than a tree grown naturally if you consider its potential just to be there, to use CO2 and to produce O2. These trees could become a forest in some decades! So why don`t we let them? Each January I see young trees thrown away after 10 days inside in front of almost each hous ein my nighbarhood. 10 years for 10 days just to stick to a tradition! Killing this potential not for food or heating, but only for tratidion... It`s heartbreaking, isn`t it? A well made plastic tree on the other side can be used over and over again.
We (mostly my parents) choose an artificial tree because my aunt gave it to us from the US to here in the Philippines and we've been using it for about roughly 15 years.... Same with other decor although during Face to face classes we had Christmas parties and at the end of the party they started throwing away the decor so I took some of the salvageable decor home. Anyways, Love your videos Gittermary. And Merry Christmas 🌲
I grew up with the tradition of a natural cut tree, bought 22nd and kept til Jan6th. Christmas was celebrated 24th. I didn't have any trees as a student. Years later, I moved to the UK (where Christmas is celebrated on the 25th and the 26th is used for the year's biggest shopping spree...) and my now-husband that I met here is allergic to the natural trees. I was really sad. I never wanted a plastic tree. But we bought a fairly cheap one as it was the only one we could afford and that was so slim that it fit into our small place. It is year 6 for the tree now and I feel better about it every year that I can build it up at the start of December without it having lost all the needles by Christmas. We have the same ornaments as 6 years ago and every year I get one handmade special ornament to add to our small collection.
I also have a wooden Christmas tree, cut in a spiral. It is made in Slovenia out of birchwood and plywood. It fits in a flat box, which is great. I have had it for several years already and place it on a table as it is only 140cm high. It doesn't smell like pine, of course, but for that I can bring in branches;-)) Here in Berlin they collect the Christmas trees off the street in January and they are shredded and used as fuel in biomass plants. The unsold certified organic trees go to the zoo for the animals that like them to chew on.
Hi Y’all👋 I definitely thought this video was fun and informative. As for my household, we were given 3 small secondhand artificial trees when my mom got remarried and had to blend her stuff with my Stepdad’s. My Husband and I set up the small trees around the common spaces in the house. My mom and I used these trees throughout my childhood and now they are a fixture in my household. Though I will say I live in the Southern US and we are very lucky because there are at least a few Christmas tree farms within driving distance of my town so if we wanted to we could go pick out a tree and bring it home (no air shipping necessary).
I prefer real trees but because I developed mobility issues (the joys of osteoarthritis!) I couldn't get anywhere to buy one and I couldn't afford to have one delivered. I bought a fake tree and this will be the sixth year I have used it. I chose a 4ft half tree because my toddling grandson was going to staying with me. This is small enough that it can be hung on the wall above a bookcase or mantelpiece. My decorations are decades old apart from the led lights. I have some from my mother's childhood in the 1920s and 30s. Most of the baubles are glass. Years ago I bought a real Xmas tree in a pot with the intention of keeping it growing outside after Christmas and using it year after year. In the spring it was devastated by aphids and didn't survive. Something to watch out for if you are going to do this. I love the idea of decorating a tree, making it flower and fruit in the middle of winter when the days are short. A promise that spring and summer will come. I'm an atheist though I was brought up culturally Christian.
I thrifted a mini artificial Christmas tree last year, along with a set of vintage Beanie Baby ornaments. It's a sparkly purple tree that has its own built-in lights and stand, and it completely matches my style. On the other hand, my family traditionally buys baby evergreen trees as gifts and the recipient grows it indoors until it's big enough to be planted in the yard.
Thanks for the video. I use a fake tree it was my grandmother's originally and I inherited it (she brought a quality fake tree over 35 years ago) it is still looking great no wear/age signs, I hope my son will use it after me. Merry Christmas
I've always cut down a Christmas tree from a local farm and on January 6th we cut it up for firewood and have a big bonfire. I also like to soak the leftover needles in vinegar for a cleaning solution.. Since getting married, my husband and I decided that we don't need the most "perfect" tree, so we aren't bothered if the local farm only has scruffy ones for cutting. It takes away the temptation of purchasing an imported one.
We live in a small flat and through that didn't have a christmas tree for years. We have a christmas wreath this year though. Before we moved in this flat we had a christmas tree in a pot that we gave to a good friend with a garden till christmas, but sadly didn't survive more that two years I think since it wasn't planted into the ground. What do you think of christmastree alternatives like the "Keinnachtsbaum"? I think it is a frame made of metal where you can stick in fresh treebranches every year. I liked the idea when I first heard it but regarding the production of the treeframe I don't know if it really is a better alternative to a new tree every year :)
loved the viedeo!! :D i found a tree like yours on a second hand app, I got it yesterday and am now putting it up while watching your video! :D btw, your earrings are amazing :D
We have a plastic artificial tree we bought 10 or 11 years ago. Still going strong, though it does lose some 'needles' every year and even a 'twig' came off this year while I was putting it up. One option for real tree disposal is to see if you live near a zoo that will take them to use for animal enrichment. The one near me does. Our city will also pick them up to be composted or mulched or something.
I only had 1 tree from Ikea for Christmas over 10 years ago, but because my cats were younger back then, we had lots of pine needles on the floor every day and decoration on the floor as well, lol. Now I just go into the woods and collect a long branches and twigs of holly and pine trees and put my wooden Christmas figures and baubles (all from a second hand store) and use my fairy lights around. It hangs on the wall, away from the cats. Last year I tied different sizes of branches with a rope into the shape of a tree and had that on the wall, which looked nice.
I tried getting a Norfolk island pine two Christmases ago but I need to get a humidifier before try again 😭 poor thing didn't survive very long in the dry climate I live in. Hopefully I'll have gotten one by next year and can try again 🎄
We like to hike through our local Christmas tree farm (in rural New Brunswick , Canada) and pick an ugly one that no one else would pick. We then mulch it in the spring and use the chips to cover our path!
My family had a 6 ft. fake Christmas tree for nearly 15 yrs until we hit hard times and had to move into a house that was very bad. When we pulled the tree out of storage our 3rd yr. in the house it had literally become a giant mice nest. Not knowing anything better we could do with it, we threw it out. Now we have a 4 ft. fake tree and it's been 7 or 8 yrs since we got it 2nd hand. We've never had a real tree in my family
We have an artificial tree and have had it for a little over 10 years. We bought it when our oldest was born and we've been using it ever since. I wish we would of been educated on this subject, sustainability in general, back then but we were not. Now we refuse to get rid of our artificial tree, that's the way we are avoiding waste. We plan to keep it for as long as we can. We also make our own ornaments and have bought second hand handmade ornaments dating the 90s which I find amazing.
When I was i student living in a small flat, I made my christmas tree with three nails in a wall and some green yarn (bought secondhand and reused every year). Now I live in a larger house and I host christmas every year because I work in church, and I buy a tree from people down the road. After new year, the sheep in the field behind my house eat most of the tree and the stem and thicker branches are left to rot in my compost/forest-y bit of my garden
When I was little we would always do a real tree because my Grandparent’s neighbor grew them on his property and than would encourage people to cut down his trees (I don’t think he even sold them) so that they wouldn’t cut down the other taller trees in the middle of the forest. I currently am using an artificial tree because my mom had 3 of them and was just gonna throw one away so I was able to save it from going to landfill!
I brought a fabric sheet with a Christmas tree printed on it from ikea, hand sewed buttons all over it to hang decorations off and a curtain rod to hang it up. Have been using for the last few years and I love it. Great for small areas if you have the wall space. My cat doesn’t play with it and everyone always comments on how lovely it is.
I grew up always having an artificial tree. My parents have a large home so they have a 9 ft tree. They replaced the one I grew up with after 22 years. I have an artificial tree now going on 4 years and it's still like new. Plan on keeping it as long as possible
This year we did someting really cool. We reused a real christmas tree that was used as decoration at a christmas market I worked at throughout december. Once the market was over, one week bevor christmas, we picked it up with our car. And because the tree was sourced locally and only stood outside for a month, the tree was still very fresh and held up.
I am allergic to trees. I like them outside but inside I get ill. I have a plastic tree that I use over and over again. The last one I had lasted 25 years, and then my cat peed on it. So I got a new one. But, my neighbour has a tree farm and in my city they compost the trees. If I wasn't allergic I would be proud to get a real one.
My rationale is that there are already fake Christmas trees out there that people bought and dont want anymore. Most of these Christmas trees are not recyclable or biodegradable. In my mind the most sustainable thing is to use those to keep them from being waste. I use decorations such as plastic pine branches when I would never buy those at a store (because cutting branches off of a real tree nearby is way better) simply because I knew someone who didn't want them.
My rationale is that there are already fake Christmas trees out there that people bought and dont want anymore. Most of these Christmas trees are not recyclable or biodegradable. In my mind the most sustainable thing is to use those to keep them from being waste. I use decorations such as plastic pine branches when I would never buy those at a store (because cutting branches off of a real tree nearby is way better) simply because I knew someone who didn't want them.
We have a artificial tree with no lights. The prelite ones are awful and break all the time. Before sustainable life we went through two :( I have led lights that can be either white or multi color and we have the same ornaments that we have had for the past 20 years. I love finding handmade ornaments from antique malls as well.
I have a fake Christmas tree and this will be it's 7th year of serving it's purpose. It's not an expensive one, but it's still in very good shape even after all these years.
In south Louisiana, there is a program that uses disposed trees for coastal restoration. It's cool because it's a way to get people down here to talk about climate and to get involved.
I use plastic tree. I got it from the neighbor. We decorate with decorations that have been passed down for several generations in the family + decorations that we made ourselves
I buy locally grown tree in the pot, after Christmas season I can go to local forest authorities and leave it for planting. Thanks to that I can have real tree and plant that again after Christmas.
We use fake trees mainly because my daughter and I are allergic to Pine trees and because that is natural here it is hard to find anything else. However the two trees we have one is 11 years old and the other is around 15 years and still going strong. However I feel if we weren't so allergic we would get a real one then use it in our flowerbed and as firewood.
I've had a plastic Christmas tree for 15-ish years and it's just easier than a real tree too, no needles on the floor to clean up and can just live in the storage when not in use :D
Were not going with either kind of trees. The plastic ones stink & the outside ones gross me out thinking about what lived in the tree etc. Merry Christmas
We use an artificial Christmas tree. We got it second hand from family and have been using it for 3 years now. We wanted to save money and not add to waste waste every year.
I'm curious: Is it more sustainable to get a smaller or a bigger natural christmas tree? A smaller tree would need less years and therefor less resources and care but a bigger one would need less work and transport than planting and selling for example 2 smaller trees in the same time. Furthermore I think a bigger tree has a higher ecological value than a smaller one, e.g. as a habitat for birds... The more I think about it, the more I'm unsure what makes more sense in terms of sustainability.
it is completely understandable that it is confusing but I think it helps if we don’t look at sustainability as a single unit of measure - there are many parameters that can determine sustainability, and they might vary greatly depending on location, farming practices, transportation etc / personally, if I was to buy a real tree I would choose 1. A locally grown option that I can go get myself (in which case size doesn’t matter) or a small tree to lower growth and transportation impact ☺️
Something that might be interesting to look into, in the US our gulf states send the trees to be put into our coastline to combat erosion. (I haven't done much research on it honestly) but supposedly they use them to help bolster the land at the gulf coast that's rapidly eroding.
Ever since I was a kid, we had a medium sized artificial tree that we reused over and over again - 20 times for sure. It was actually kinda fun to always take it from the box in the basement and decorate it! Even though some people gave us looks because they always just bought a new real tree and then just threw it away. If I ever have my own house, I intend to use artifical tree too (I'll try to get it 2nd hand though) or I could grow the tree, keep in it a pot whole year and then just take it inside for Christmas. Thanks for the video :)
Thanks for the info! I've been thinking about this recently, so I was glad to watch your video. Here on the Baltic Sea in northern Germany they have a great way to recycle the trees after Christmas -- they are chopped up and used in the wind/water breaks along the seashore! So they provide protection for wildlife + people alike :)
We have an artificial tree… from the 90s! It was being given away free on FB Marketplace. It has the weird plastic moss pole center and individual branches that must be assembled. Honestly because it’s so old it has some bald spots on a few branches (aka the ones that belong in the back). We love it though! Saving something from the waste stream is always my preference when available.
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Thank you for watching! Which type of tree would you pick? 🌲🌿🥂
I would pick to decorate a real growing tree in front of the house, but until then - i choose what i have, an artificial one
I have an artificial tree that I got second hand. It was only $50 for 7 ft. tree and I plan to use it for a long time!
My Mom's plastic Christmas tree is about my age (30 yo more or less... I am 35 yo ) and decorations are everywhere between 30 and 10 years old... mostly because my country is not doing very well... mostly because there is no point in buying new things when you don't want to fill up space at home and make it overcrowded.... I have a very good example ✌🌟🌞🎆 what's said in the video just made think about the sustainability of it all... ✌
I don't mind reusing a plastic Christmas tree, we had ours for more than 10 years and if well kept when not needed it still really looks great everytime we put it up. What really irks me is those people buying new cheap Christmas decorations each year (Christmas lights, lanterns, balls and whatnots) even though the one they had in the previous year is perfectly working. There's nothing wrong with decorating but here in the Philippines where Christmas is like the biggest holiday of the year (aside from New Year), many people take this as an opportunity to boast their wealth by changing Christmas decorations each year. I believe that Christmas is more of a spirit rather than lavish decorations which will turn to waste after the celebration.
I completely agree, the holidays is about spending time with loved ones and getting into the cozy Christmas spirit, and sadly, Christmas is a prime example of the holidays becoming more and more materialistic. Honestly, it was a huge relief for both me and my family when we decided to scale waaaay down and focus on conscious consuming 🌿💚
Yes. We had the same plastic three for 25 years. 😄
Few years back my uncle was responsible for getting a natural Christmas tree for my family. When we arrived at his house we realised he was too drunk to get one. It was few hours left to the Christmas Eve and all the markets with Christmas trees were already closed so my dad just dig out a random tree from the garden. It wasn't even a fir or spruce but a thuja :'). It looked beautiful in the house and I'll never forget this one. Then thuja returned to the garden and lived happy ever after.
We picked up an interesting dry beech branch in the woods. During a year there are our photos hung, for holidays we switch to a holidays decoration.
I live in the Netherlands, and I saw an initiative of an organisation that sells Christmas trees (still with the root system on it) that you can hand back in with them in January, and they will plant it back in their forest. Super cool I thought!
We live in rural Canada and there are thousands of tiny 2 foot spruce trees that grow along the rural roads that get cleared regularly by ditch clearing machines. We will cut one down and place it in a mason jar of water and add tiny reusable ornaments & fairy lights, and set it on a table🎄
We have some ugly thujas in our yard that we have been cutting down and using the last 3 years. They’re tall and skinny and I think they look way cuter inside than out in our yard. It’s great because they are free and we were planning on cutting them down anyway.
When we lived in Phoenix we had a fake tree that I bought for $5 at a yard sale (fresh trees there didn’t travel very far as they can grow pine trees in Flagstaff, but I didn’t want to waste water keeping it green) it was constantly shedding plastic and I was happy to leave it with my roommates when we left.
I, myself, don't have a Christmas tree. I usually visit my parents around the holidays and they get a locally grown one (I live in Germany). After the Christmas season the community arranges pick ups and I'm pretty sure they get composted then.
Also some tibit I wanted to share. Some communities take the Christmas trees and dump them in lakes and there they built natural habitats for fish and other animals to breed and lay their eggs. It's a win win situation.
I use a small potted tree, that lives on our tiny balcony. When christmas comes, I bring it inside for two weeks, and than it goes back. We used our first one for 5 years, but it has some issues now, so we will plant it at my boyfriend's parents's garden, and I hope our new tree will enjoy our company even longer. I couldn't give up the pine smell in the apartment. :)
I have a plastic tinsel tree from the 50s. My decorations are a real hodgepodge and include my grandmother's, ones I have made myself second hand finds and a couple of new buys (usually post christmas clearance items) that I bought years ago.
Okay I love that you are reusing after so many decades, I wish I had decorations that old, sadly all our family decor vanished a couple of years ago 😭
I use one of my house plants as my christmas tree. It is a tree but does not look like a Christmas tree and that is fine for me ! I live in a warm area and I don't really want to stock a fake tree so that is what I am doing for the last 2 years.
As always, love your impact videos! ❤️ We actually are renting a natural tree this year. It was delivered in the pot, with clear instructions on how to take care of it and make sure it survives the next weeks inside. Then after Christmas, it's picked up again. I am not sure how many trees actually do survive this period and how sustainable it is, also taking into account the delivery and pickup.
We only have a christmas tree every other year, when we celebrate christmas at our own place.
I live in Denmark and get a natural tree grown locally. When christmas is over, we take the tree outside and let it naturally decay in the lower part of our garden. Deer, hares, hedgehogs, larvae and other natural occuring animals eat it or use it/live in it.
Love it about you that your opinions are always backed up by research. We’ve had our artificial tree for 17 years and it still looks great and will continue to be used. Otherwise I would probably buy a local tree and then plant it out in the garden afterward. Although I’m also tempted by sustainable wooden trees like yours…very sculptural 😍
I reuse a plastic tree handed down to me from my parents that they used for ~10 years 🎄 thank you for having such a thorough take on trees!
I'm getting a real Christmas tree from my grandma's garden, here in Denmark. She's got several tall Normann Pine trees growing in her garden, that she then can trim and cut down, to a 2m size. The tree keeps growing, and the tree we get can get properly disposed of as well 🌲🎄
Second hand plastic tree for me (actually a family hand-me-down)! A real tree would be way too much of a hassle anyway living without a car to bring it home (which fuel should also be taken into the account of the footprint of the tree). Only downside for me of the classic reusable plastic tree is that it sheds microplastics a bit everywhere :/ But still better to use it than wasting it
In Netherlands, well at least in Amsterdam, Christmas trees are collected by the service to feed animals in a zoo =)
Me and my family use summits of the fallen down trees from our country home (its in our forest)
Thank you so much for discussing this topic! My daughter and I have been wondering which is technically more sustainable. We have a fake tree with attached lights that we have used for around 6-7 years now, and it's still holding up. I intend to continue to use it and repair it along the way as best I can for as long as I can. I do live in a more tropical climate (Florida, US) so I'm not sure if I would be able to grow a tree in my backyard. However, when the time comes that my tree is beyond repair, I will surely do some research and see if I can find a more sustainable way to have a real tree. Thank you for taking the time to put together this video. I love your informational videos, they really do help and are appreciated!
Ah I miss living in Europe and having a real tree, the smell alone made Christmas. Now in Sydney I have a big yard and around this time of year when I'm pruning ill pick a nice looking eucalyptus branch or other native and bring that inside to decorate. Every year we have a new/interesting shape and after it goes into the chipper or compost. It also makes more sense in this climate.
I would prefer a real tree (love the smell). I live in Nova Scotia, so local tree farms are readily available. My municipality picks up trees curbside in January for using in compost, so they don't go to landfill. Sounds like a win. But, unfortunately, not having a car means I can't get one home. Too bad the tree sellers don't offer delivery. So, I have a fake tree that I've had for years and will have have for many more years.
Great topic!
We get a tree from a friends forest that is grown without chemicals.
Where I live you can give your real Christmas tree to a farmer to feed its goats at the end of Christmas season 🎄🐐
My grandparents used the same Christmas tree for 20 years and passed it on to me! It still looks great. We like to stick with artificial since we can’t compost or use the wood where we are.
How about we skip both cutting down trees for a totally made up holiday AND the roses for valentines day (also a made up holiday)? I havent had a tree of either versions for more than 10 years and i really dont miss one. You can decorate your house very well without a tree as well if this holiday is really all about the decorations you.
That is an absolutely viable solution, and kudos 👏💪 however, when people click on a video of the expecting sustainable solutions, the only thing mentioned can’t really be “don’t do it”, I am here to create an overview of where the impact comes from and how to choose the best option for you - refusing to participate is always an option, but as far as tips go, I feel like I need to add more than that 😅🌿
There a lot of second hand trees new
We picked ours up second hand, they were going to throw it away because it was missing a screw for the stand. We just put another screw in and hey presto! It’s will be celebrating its 4th year with us this year and still looks great.
We built four years ago a ‘tree’ made of driftwood. We live in front of a beach, so it was very easy to find the material. Then we decorate it with decorations made of ceramic, metal, wool, wood… anything but plastic. We don’t use artificial lights, but candles that we simply light up the Xmas night, the last day of the year and so on. And I think it looks amazing, like yours!
That is SO cool 😍🌲
i have build a tree like yours but out of branches collected in the woods with my parents; its even more beautiful than a real one once lit up, but it also still has this really natural feel, we have been using it for about 7 years now, my father doesn't get in trouble for buying the wrong tree anymore and we have established new family traditions around assembling it before christmas^^
I love this idea, Mara! ♥
Great idea!
That is an amazing idea 😍☺️
One thing that i think you kind of overlooked, or went over light footed is the sole amount of pesticides and chemicals used in the production in christmas trees.
Being a skilled forest technician, having worked with christmas trees and a being PBA in environmental management, i can ensure that it's not a small amount, and most conventional christmas trees is being treated several times a year till harvest.
the ground around the trees are sprayed with herbicides to prevent plants with stiff growth from damaging the lower rings. the trees themselves are sprayed with insecticides to prevent pests from damaging and killing the trees and a lot of trees tops are treated with growth retardant hormones to prevent them from growing too fast vertically.
Some trees are more resistant to pests, so they require less insecticides and fungicides than other species of christmas trees, but the use of herbicides is mostly uniform across the board.
The discussion about environmental impact often ends up with discussing the carbon impact of the product, but for some products they might have a low carbon footprint (like locally produced christmas trees) but the impact is much more than the carbon footprint. especially in cases like these, the impact on the immediate environment like nature, ground water resources, runoff to waterways etc. plays a big role.
A product is not more sustainable because it has a low carbon footprint if it in exchange poses a risk to the immediate environment and the ground water resources.
if you want a real christmas tree, get a organic one, they usually dont use pesticides, or very few compared to conventionals.
We have been using a Norfolk Island Pine for many years. In the past, we have also used a small evergreen that we brought in from the garden for a short period. We love the symbol of a live evergreen tree during the Winter Solstice/Christmas/New Year season (not a decaying or fake one). Thank you for your channel. Very informative and you are delightful. Best wishes of the season!
That sounds great, thank you so much for the support and happy holidays 🌲✨😍
When living with my family we were using a fake (cheaply made) christmas tree for 15+ years, and it held up beautifully. When I started living on my own, I bought an Ikea small (tabletop) fake christmas tree that looks really well made and realistic, have been using it since (4 years now) and I love it. Once I get a bigger apartment, I plan to buy a bigger realistic fake tree and take the one I own now to my office to decorate it there 🙂 I also don't like pre-lit trees because you can't replace the lights once they stop working.
I know it's not exactly minimalistic and low impact but I really enjoy decorating for the season, and I opt for plastic trees because I hate seeing real trees thrown to the curb every January 6th 😕
We have had the same fake, plastic tree for almost 20 years and I love the tradition of putting it up each year. We tried a real, locally grown one once but didn't like it. Also, our cats like to climb the tree, so a real one could possibly hurt them.
It seems like you have found a perfect solution, and go you for using the same tree year after year, perfectly sustainable option 💚
I'm not a big fan of Christmas, as I find it so commercial and wasteful. Therefore, I do not decorate at all, so no Christmas tree. What I do love is to get together with family and friends and just enjoy each other's company, maybe having some dinner together, and that's just right for me.
Back many years ago when my children were small, I bought a small, artificial tree secondhand, and we used it for many years. I believe I sold it in a yard sale eventually. :)
By the way, Gittemary, I love your secondhand wooden tree! It's perfect. If I did decorate, I would go for something like that. ♥♥♥
As a south american girl my mind cannot understand that in the US people cut real trees for Christmas, as we saw in the movies, still such a weird idea to me, to have trees growing for years just to cut it, use it a month or so and get a new one each year ????? Well here in Chile we don't use real pinetrees since pines and timber damages the soil for the native trees, and also it would be so expensive an so much effort with the transportation, is a no no.
My family had our plastic Christmas tree for 22 years but the last year really couldn't be fixed anymore so my mom bought a new one against my wishes , we didn't throw it out, it's in the attic but I wanna find ways to reuse it for making smaller decorations. Also the quality of the plastic Christmas trees got worse, our og tree base and tube was from metal and the new one is all plastic and looks less resistent. :c
I have a pretty sparse plastic tree that I got because I was tight for money but wanted the Christmas decorations. It's the third year, I have collected various decorations over the years from others getting rid of them. If my tree ever gives up I think I will try making one or get a real one.
This is really interesting! 🎄 Thank you 😊 God advent & jul ❤️
We have an artificial tree 🌲 because my husband has asthma, so a real tree isn’t an option. We bought our tree 25 years ago and it’s still going strong.
I’m trying to convince my husband that a wooden dowel tree would be lovely once our artificial tree is no longer reparable. He’s not yet on board, lol.
my family has had the same fake Christmas tree for over 30 years and it was given to us from someone that didn't want it anymore. we had a real one that was plantable for a few years but it always made a mess so we went back to having the fake one inside
woooow that's amazing, 30 years, now that's a sustainable solution!
Here in Brazil,it is fake 🌳 ,it is not comon narural tree,but we have our tree at least 8 years.
My mom donates the Christmas to this program that puts them in lakes for the fish.
Very cool video! I actually sold my full sized artificial tree last year. I still use my mom’s 15” tabletop tree(it’s over 30 years old!). I know at one point, the local IKEA sold live trees & they took them back to recycle into mulch. The NJ shore towns sometimes ask for live trees to help build up the beach area. I think decorating a tree in the yard has always been my favorite thing ever. Stay awesome Gittemary!!❤️❤️❤️
I'm quite literally obsessed with Christmas decorations, so I go a little bit crazy every year, although I try to be more sustainable each year. For any other holiday we don't use specific decor, so from November till February I embrace all things 'Christmassy'. We have both a fake tree and a natural one. I bought the fake one my first year at university, so it's the 9th year I've put it up and it still looks perfect, so I think I'll be using it for many years to come. We have a combination of both 'newer' bought ornaments (often as a souvenir from our travels or from Christmas markets, some also from regular stores and thrifting) and a looooot of hand me downs from my mom and grandma. A few years ago we found some balls that my grandma made in the seventies? eighties? with those traditional fabrics in bright red, white and green... they are so special to me since my Christmas obsession comes from both her and my mom. Every year when we put them up I get a little extra emotional.
Although I do make efforts to be more sustainable every year during this period, at the same time I refuse to feel too bad about my decor, since it's the only occasion I truly get caught up in, and it gives me so. much. joy!!
I wish everyone here happy holidays, a warm end of the year, a truly sparkly beginning of the next year.
Thanks for all of your hard work Gittemary, and I look forward to any other Christmassy content from you!
Happy holidays to you too 😍 I can thoroughly recommend shopping Christmas decor second hand as well, the thrift shops are overflowing with winter decor, especially in the autumn 💪
We buy our Christmas tree in our village. We can even chop it on our own, if we wish to. They planted them on a little grass-area where I passed along everyday when i was in kinder-garden and primary-school. They don't use any pesticides or artificial fertilizer to grow them. When Christmas is over we will take it to a farmer nearby who is using our local garden-wastes to make biogas out of it.
I live in the wilderness of 🇨🇦 where I could cut down a pine or spruce tree literally a minute or two from my front door. BUT I have a hard time cutting down a real tree to use as a Christmas tree for just few weeks. PLUS… a real tree can often get sap on one’s tree ornaments. With all this said, I have a fake tree… it’s 30+ years old and I will continue to use it every year. I am fortuanate to have a basement to store such an item… lucky me!! This is a great video Gittemary. Thanks for sharing your festive knowledge. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🎄💚🎄. PS - I love your little wooden Christmas tree… like you, it’s incredibly charming and unique.
That is a great solution as well and after 30 years it is safe to say that that tree is now proper sustainable 😎💪✨
We have a kind of indoor palm tree next to the sofa, we decorate it for every christmas instead of having a real or fake pine tree 😁😁
That's so nice! 💚🎄
I feel like a fool I’ve never actually read your channel name properly and just did. I thought it said glittery Mary 😂my apologies haha love ya!💚
Haha you're not the first person to make that mistake 💚😂
We got a big ficus alii as a houseplant and just decorate that little for christmas, but my grandma already threatened me that I will inherit her plastic christmas tree, and that's totally fine with me, it's actually quite pretty.
I do the same! Had to look into these comments to see if I had someone likeminded here. I do not live under the same threat tho x'D
Very interesting 🤔 my family do not buy Christmas trees but this video makes me think of the future of my household.
-Growing RUclipsr 😊
Ohhh! I moved from my childhood home this year so I was looking for a Christmas tree and found one that looks a lot like yours in Lidl! I love it! My sister then gave me her ornaments that she didn't use 🥂🌲 I did buy lights tho, so gotta work on that. But I don't really keep them on 😬 now I'm low key waiting for my mom to give up on her Christmas tree (it must be 20 years old at this point) so I can have it when I move to a bigger place 😅
My husband and I bought a fake Christmas tree 2018 and we will keep it forever. Like we keep the decorations forever. I still have my decorations that I bought 13 years ago, they are fine and I'm really attached to them.
That ist right, the tries mostly don't come from preexisting forest. BUT what does ist say about the value of a tree? The fact of being grown up intentionally does not make a thee worse than a tree grown naturally if you consider its potential just to be there, to use CO2 and to produce O2. These trees could become a forest in some decades! So why don`t we let them?
Each January I see young trees thrown away after 10 days inside in front of almost each hous ein my nighbarhood. 10 years for 10 days just to stick to a tradition! Killing this potential not for food or heating, but only for tratidion... It`s heartbreaking, isn`t it?
A well made plastic tree on the other side can be used over and over again.
We (mostly my parents) choose an artificial tree because my aunt gave it to us from the US to here in the Philippines and we've been using it for about roughly 15 years....
Same with other decor although during Face to face classes we had Christmas parties and at the end of the party they started throwing away the decor so I took some of the salvageable decor home.
Anyways, Love your videos Gittermary. And Merry Christmas 🌲
I grew up with the tradition of a natural cut tree, bought 22nd and kept til Jan6th. Christmas was celebrated 24th. I didn't have any trees as a student.
Years later, I moved to the UK (where Christmas is celebrated on the 25th and the 26th is used for the year's biggest shopping spree...) and my now-husband that I met here is allergic to the natural trees. I was really sad. I never wanted a plastic tree. But we bought a fairly cheap one as it was the only one we could afford and that was so slim that it fit into our small place.
It is year 6 for the tree now and I feel better about it every year that I can build it up at the start of December without it having lost all the needles by Christmas. We have the same ornaments as 6 years ago and every year I get one handmade special ornament to add to our small collection.
I also have a wooden Christmas tree, cut in a spiral. It is made in Slovenia out of birchwood and plywood. It fits in a flat box, which is great. I have had it for several years already and place it on a table as it is only 140cm high. It doesn't smell like pine, of course, but for that I can bring in branches;-)) Here in Berlin they collect the Christmas trees off the street in January and they are shredded and used as fuel in biomass plants. The unsold certified organic trees go to the zoo for the animals that like them to chew on.
Hi Y’all👋 I definitely thought this video was fun and informative. As for my household, we were given 3 small secondhand artificial trees when my mom got remarried and had to blend her stuff with my Stepdad’s. My Husband and I set up the small trees around the common spaces in the house. My mom and I used these trees throughout my childhood and now they are a fixture in my household. Though I will say I live in the Southern US and we are very lucky because there are at least a few Christmas tree farms within driving distance of my town so if we wanted to we could go pick out a tree and bring it home (no air shipping necessary).
I prefer real trees but because I developed mobility issues (the joys of osteoarthritis!) I couldn't get anywhere to buy one and I couldn't afford to have one delivered. I bought a fake tree and this will be the sixth year I have used it. I chose a 4ft half tree because my toddling grandson was going to staying with me. This is small enough that it can be hung on the wall above a bookcase or mantelpiece. My decorations are decades old apart from the led lights. I have some from my mother's childhood in the 1920s and 30s. Most of the baubles are glass.
Years ago I bought a real Xmas tree in a pot with the intention of keeping it growing outside after Christmas and using it year after year. In the spring it was devastated by aphids and didn't survive. Something to watch out for if you are going to do this.
I love the idea of decorating a tree, making it flower and fruit in the middle of winter when the days are short. A promise that spring and summer will come. I'm an atheist though I was brought up culturally Christian.
I thrifted a mini artificial Christmas tree last year, along with a set of vintage Beanie Baby ornaments. It's a sparkly purple tree that has its own built-in lights and stand, and it completely matches my style. On the other hand, my family traditionally buys baby evergreen trees as gifts and the recipient grows it indoors until it's big enough to be planted in the yard.
It seems like both those options are actually pretty sustainable ☺️🌿
@@Gittemary I hope so! We just gave my grandma a baby tree yesterday for her birthday 😆
Thanks for the video. I use a fake tree it was my grandmother's originally and I inherited it (she brought a quality fake tree over 35 years ago) it is still looking great no wear/age signs, I hope my son will use it after me. Merry Christmas
I've always cut down a Christmas tree from a local farm and on January 6th we cut it up for firewood and have a big bonfire. I also like to soak the leftover needles in vinegar for a cleaning solution.. Since getting married, my husband and I decided that we don't need the most "perfect" tree, so we aren't bothered if the local farm only has scruffy ones for cutting. It takes away the temptation of purchasing an imported one.
We live in a small flat and through that didn't have a christmas tree for years. We have a christmas wreath this year though. Before we moved in this flat we had a christmas tree in a pot that we gave to a good friend with a garden till christmas, but sadly didn't survive more that two years I think since it wasn't planted into the ground.
What do you think of christmastree alternatives like the "Keinnachtsbaum"? I think it is a frame made of metal where you can stick in fresh treebranches every year. I liked the idea when I first heard it but regarding the production of the treeframe I don't know if it really is a better alternative to a new tree every year :)
loved the viedeo!! :D i found a tree like yours on a second hand app, I got it yesterday and am now putting it up while watching your video! :D btw, your earrings are amazing :D
We have a plastic artificial tree we bought 10 or 11 years ago. Still going strong, though it does lose some 'needles' every year and even a 'twig' came off this year while I was putting it up.
One option for real tree disposal is to see if you live near a zoo that will take them to use for animal enrichment. The one near me does. Our city will also pick them up to be composted or mulched or something.
I only had 1 tree from Ikea for Christmas over 10 years ago, but because my cats were younger back then, we had lots of pine needles on the floor every day and decoration on the floor as well, lol. Now I just go into the woods and collect a long branches and twigs of holly and pine trees and put my wooden Christmas figures and baubles (all from a second hand store) and use my fairy lights around. It hangs on the wall, away from the cats. Last year I tied different sizes of branches with a rope into the shape of a tree and had that on the wall, which looked nice.
I tried getting a Norfolk island pine two Christmases ago but I need to get a humidifier before try again 😭 poor thing didn't survive very long in the dry climate I live in. Hopefully I'll have gotten one by next year and can try again 🎄
I bought a fake Christmas tree last year. My cats thought this was their new toy. 😂 That's why I gave it away. At least someone else can enjoy it. 🥰🎄
We like to hike through our local Christmas tree farm (in rural New Brunswick , Canada) and pick an ugly one that no one else would pick. We then mulch it in the spring and use the chips to cover our path!
My family had a 6 ft. fake Christmas tree for nearly 15 yrs until we hit hard times and had to move into a house that was very bad. When we pulled the tree out of storage our 3rd yr. in the house it had literally become a giant mice nest. Not knowing anything better we could do with it, we threw it out. Now we have a 4 ft. fake tree and it's been 7 or 8 yrs since we got it 2nd hand. We've never had a real tree in my family
We have an artificial tree and have had it for a little over 10 years. We bought it when our oldest was born and we've been using it ever since. I wish we would of been educated on this subject, sustainability in general, back then but we were not. Now we refuse to get rid of our artificial tree, that's the way we are avoiding waste. We plan to keep it for as long as we can. We also make our own ornaments and have bought second hand handmade ornaments dating the 90s which I find amazing.
Since I live alone, so I just put on a live Christmas fireplace wallpaper on my computer and It's 4K!
When I was i student living in a small flat, I made my christmas tree with three nails in a wall and some green yarn (bought secondhand and reused every year). Now I live in a larger house and I host christmas every year because I work in church, and I buy a tree from people down the road. After new year, the sheep in the field behind my house eat most of the tree and the stem and thicker branches are left to rot in my compost/forest-y bit of my garden
When I was little we would always do a real tree because my Grandparent’s neighbor grew them on his property and than would encourage people to cut down his trees (I don’t think he even sold them) so that they wouldn’t cut down the other taller trees in the middle of the forest.
I currently am using an artificial tree because my mom had 3 of them and was just gonna throw one away so I was able to save it from going to landfill!
I brought a fabric sheet with a Christmas tree printed on it from ikea, hand sewed buttons all over it to hang decorations off and a curtain rod to hang it up. Have been using for the last few years and I love it. Great for small areas if you have the wall space. My cat doesn’t play with it and everyone always comments on how lovely it is.
I grew up always having an artificial tree. My parents have a large home so they have a 9 ft tree. They replaced the one I grew up with after 22 years. I have an artificial tree now going on 4 years and it's still like new. Plan on keeping it as long as possible
This year we did someting really cool. We reused a real christmas tree that was used as decoration at a christmas market I worked at throughout december. Once the market was over, one week bevor christmas, we picked it up with our car. And because the tree was sourced locally and only stood outside for a month, the tree was still very fresh and held up.
I am allergic to trees. I like them outside but inside I get ill. I have a plastic tree that I use over and over again. The last one I had lasted 25 years, and then my cat peed on it. So I got a new one. But, my neighbour has a tree farm and in my city they compost the trees. If I wasn't allergic I would be proud to get a real one.
My rationale is that there are already fake Christmas trees out there that people bought and dont want anymore. Most of these Christmas trees are not recyclable or biodegradable. In my mind the most sustainable thing is to use those to keep them from being waste. I use decorations such as plastic pine branches when I would never buy those at a store (because cutting branches off of a real tree nearby is way better) simply because I knew someone who didn't want them.
My rationale is that there are already fake Christmas trees out there that people bought and dont want anymore. Most of these Christmas trees are not recyclable or biodegradable. In my mind the most sustainable thing is to use those to keep them from being waste. I use decorations such as plastic pine branches when I would never buy those at a store (because cutting branches off of a real tree nearby is way better) simply because I knew someone who didn't want them.
We have a artificial tree with no lights. The prelite ones are awful and break all the time. Before sustainable life we went through two :( I have led lights that can be either white or multi color and we have the same ornaments that we have had for the past 20 years. I love finding handmade ornaments from antique malls as well.
I've had my fake tree for 24 years already and is still going strong!💜. Would never buy a real one.
I have a fake Christmas tree and this will be it's 7th year of serving it's purpose. It's not an expensive one, but it's still in very good shape even after all these years.
Real Every time. I know buying a real tree is supporting local jobs as they are grown near us.
In south Louisiana, there is a program that uses disposed trees for coastal restoration. It's cool because it's a way to get people down here to talk about climate and to get involved.
I use plastic tree. I got it from the neighbor. We decorate with decorations that have been passed down for several generations in the family + decorations that we made ourselves
I buy locally grown tree in the pot, after Christmas season I can go to local forest authorities and leave it for planting. Thanks to that I can have real tree and plant that again after Christmas.
We use fake trees mainly because my daughter and I are allergic to Pine trees and because that is natural here it is hard to find anything else. However the two trees we have one is 11 years old and the other is around 15 years and still going strong. However I feel if we weren't so allergic we would get a real one then use it in our flowerbed and as firewood.
I've had a plastic Christmas tree for 15-ish years and it's just easier than a real tree too, no needles on the floor to clean up and can just live in the storage when not in use :D
Were not going with either kind of trees. The plastic ones stink & the outside ones gross me out thinking about what lived in the tree etc. Merry Christmas
We use an artificial Christmas tree. We got it second hand from family and have been using it for 3 years now. We wanted to save money and not add to waste waste every year.
My family has a huge fake christmas tree for at least 30 years, and it's still in good shape
We are getting a real potted tee! Well not quite a tree yet, but a small plant that will grow with us every year :)
And I have a small plastic Christmas tree, I think it is 16 years old and I happy with it
I'm curious: Is it more sustainable to get a smaller or a bigger natural christmas tree? A smaller tree would need less years and therefor less resources and care but a bigger one would need less work and transport than planting and selling for example 2 smaller trees in the same time. Furthermore I think a bigger tree has a higher ecological value than a smaller one, e.g. as a habitat for birds... The more I think about it, the more I'm unsure what makes more sense in terms of sustainability.
it is completely understandable that it is confusing but I think it helps if we don’t look at sustainability as a single unit of measure - there are many parameters that can determine sustainability, and they might vary greatly depending on location, farming practices, transportation etc / personally, if I was to buy a real tree I would choose 1. A locally grown option that I can go get myself (in which case size doesn’t matter) or a small tree to lower growth and transportation impact ☺️
Something that might be interesting to look into, in the US our gulf states send the trees to be put into our coastline to combat erosion. (I haven't done much research on it honestly) but supposedly they use them to help bolster the land at the gulf coast that's rapidly eroding.
Honestly this comment is just for Jens next to Christmas 🎄👍😁
always had this question in my mind about christmas tree, thank u!
Ever since I was a kid, we had a medium sized artificial tree that we reused over and over again - 20 times for sure. It was actually kinda fun to always take it from the box in the basement and decorate it! Even though some people gave us looks because they always just bought a new real tree and then just threw it away. If I ever have my own house, I intend to use artifical tree too (I'll try to get it 2nd hand though) or I could grow the tree, keep in it a pot whole year and then just take it inside for Christmas. Thanks for the video :)
Thanks for the info! I've been thinking about this recently, so I was glad to watch your video. Here on the Baltic Sea in northern Germany they have a great way to recycle the trees after Christmas -- they are chopped up and used in the wind/water breaks along the seashore! So they provide protection for wildlife + people alike :)
That sounds really great 🌲💪
We have an artificial tree… from the 90s! It was being given away free on FB Marketplace. It has the weird plastic moss pole center and individual branches that must be assembled. Honestly because it’s so old it has some bald spots on a few branches (aka the ones that belong in the back). We love it though! Saving something from the waste stream is always my preference when available.
I love that honestly, such a great solution 🌲😍