Real or fake Christmas tree—what's better for the environment?
Banana Pancakes shares her tips for choosing the most sustainable option.
Banana Pancakes shares her tips for choosing the most sustainable option.
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00:00How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
00:05We don't always think about Christmas,
00:07but the Christmas tree can have a significant impact on the environment.
00:10So we're going to look at a few tips on how to reduce it.
00:12How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
00:17Contrary to popular belief, natural trees have a better carbon footprint
00:21than artificial trees.
00:24A Canadian study analysed the life cycle of Christmas trees
00:28and found that natural trees emit 3kg of CO2,
00:31while artificial trees emit 8kg.
00:33How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
00:35To further reduce our carbon footprint,
00:37we can choose a tree produced locally
00:39and from an eco-responsible agriculture,
00:41which can be guaranteed by different labels.
00:43Here, for example, we have a nice product in France,
00:46labelled Fleur de France,
00:47and Plant Bleu, which guarantees a more responsible, more sound production.
00:51How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
00:57How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
01:07After Christmas, instead of leaving the tree on the sidewalk,
01:10we can find collecting points,
01:11which can then be turned into straw,
01:13brick,
01:14or even become a source of energy.
01:16How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
01:26Artificial trees have a much more negative environmental impact.
01:31They come from far away,
01:32and they use a polluting manufacturing process.
01:34But if you still want to turn this alternative,
01:36there are a few things to know.
01:38How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
01:41Choose a Christmas tree that is bought on occasion,
01:43or in any case of very good quality,
01:44and avoid all the trees that add components to it,
01:47typically artificial snow or others.
01:48And in any case,
01:49make sure to keep it for at least 20 years
01:51to make this ecological footprint profitable.
01:53How can we reduce the impact of Christmas trees on the environment?
02:08A third alternative is to use everything that is zero waste and recycle,
02:12and therefore to build your Christmas tree,
02:14either by using a green plant,
02:15by building a tree with pallets,
02:17with pieces of wood,
02:19or on a board with lights,
02:20with light bulbs.
02:22If you have no idea,
02:23there are plenty of online tutorials on the Internet
02:25to find plenty of easy and fast examples to follow.
02:29The positive side of this third alternative
02:31is that we don't buy anything new,
02:32so we consume less energy,
02:34less resources,
02:35and we produce less waste.
02:36And on top of that,
02:37we spend less money.
02:40With all these little tips,
02:41we see that it is easy to reduce the environmental impact of your Christmas tree,
02:45without depriving yourself of its festive aspect,
02:47which has existed for centuries.