Real vs artificial Christmas trees

It’s mid-November and the debate begins on which kind of Christmas tree you should purchase.

Traditionally, people use real evergreens as their Christmas tree during the holidays. But, artificial trees never change appearance, making them a popular choice too. Both types of trees are purchased every year and there are pros and cons to each.

Real trees are harvested from tree farms such as Bastien Christmas Tree Farm located just outside of Windsor. Ovide Bastien is the owner of the family business and has been growing trees for 18 years. Bastien studied horticulture at the University of Guelph and said he believes his operation is great for the environment.

“One of the main benefits is recycling and the second biggest thing is it releases oxygen. We have 23 acres of trees so imagine what that does for the environment,” said Bastien.

According to Christmastrees.on.ca, “Christmas trees are the most environmentally friendly crop around. This is because a tree is harvested only after 10 years. To ensure future harvests, ninety percent of the farm must remain in trees all the time.

Bastien farm has more than 23 acres of trees, and wildlife benefits from the trees because of the coverage area. The trees also provide a scent that Basteins family will never get over.

“People might say, ‘you’re chopping trees down’, but I say for every tree we chop, we are growing 10 in its place,” said Bastien. “While those are growing they are releasing oxygen, it’s one of the best smells you can work with.”

Real Christmas trees are a better option for the environment when it comes to garbage day, because they are 100 per cent recyclable. Windsor has listed how to recycle your Christmas trees on their website, and tells you everything you need to know about the correct way on disposing your tree.

Marc Durocher works retail at Canadian Tire in the hardware and garden centre. The holiday season keeps him busy, helping customers with their Christmas trees.

“People usually buy artificial trees because it’s less of a need. Essentially after a month or so, live Christmas trees’ needles fall out all over the place,” said Durocher.

Durocher also tends to the live trees Canadian Tire offers and claims that a real Christmas tree is the right one to chose.

“I prefer real Christmas trees because it’s more traditional,” said Durocher. “And considering the trees we sell here, all of the money goes to a few different charities, which gives people an incentive to buy them.”

Today, most artificial Christmas trees are made from PVC plastic. They are fire-retardant but not fire-resistant. 80 per cent of artificial trees worldwide are manufactured in China, according to the University of Illinois, Christmas trees and more.

Laurie Hannan, a business and math teacher at Catholic Central High School, always enjoyed the tradition of a having a Christmas tree. Hannan has three Christmas trees in her home in South Windsor, and does not pick between tree types.  

“I have kept my other artificial trees for several years now,” said Hannan. “It’s a yearly tradition with my husband’s family to go out and actually cut down our trees.”

Christmas trees have been a tradition for the winter holidays since the early 1500s, no matter if they are real or artificial. With the holidays approaching, make sure to think about what type of tree you will be decorating and the effects it has on the environment.