Along with their color, Christmas trees can play a role in green living. Whether you use a real or artificial tree this season, consider these environmental factors.Subheadline. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.

Natural Christmas Trees
The smell and authenticity of a real Christmas tree during the holidays can’t be beat, but is purchasing a natural tree eco-friendly?
Natural Christmas trees are “recyclable, sustainable and renewable,” according to Gayla Hansen, a Christmas tree farmer in the Pacific Northwest, where Arizona gets 80 percent of its Christmas trees.
For each tree cut down on a Christmas tree farm, others are planted in its place. The Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association (PNCTA) says these trees contribute to “a better environment for future generations.”
“When we’re selecting something that is a natural product, we don’t have to worry about it ever becoming a problem in the environment,” says Mike Bondi of the Extension Forestry Program at Oregon State University. “[Trees] will completely decompose on their own.”
Real trees also help reduce carbon emissions by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. One acre of Christmas trees provides the necessary daily oxygen for 18 people, according to the PNCTA.    
Still, not all trees are harvested from farms. Some are taken directly from our forests. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, says Ken Sweat, a lecturer in natural sciences at Arizona State University.
“It’s necessary [for the environment] to control overpopulation of the smaller and second-growth trees,” Sweat says. “Removing them is one way to do that.”
The state of Arizona offers permits for those who want to cut down their own Christmas trees.
Live trees also are an option. This year, Sweat plans to buy a live tree, which comes in a pot, and plant it in his yard after the holidays. “It becomes my Christmas tree for the rest of the time I own the house,” he says. Sweat bought a live Christmas tree in 1999 and now has a 20-foot-tall tree in his backyard.

Artificial Trees
Perhaps you prefer letting live trees grow, or you’re allergic to conifers but still want a Christmas tree. An artificial tree may be the next best option, says Bondi. Fake trees are reusable, require minimal upkeep and are easy to store. Some families pass on their artificial trees from generation to generation, making them sentimental heirlooms.  
Yet, from an ecological perspective, fake trees provide little, if any, benefit. Most are made in China, and shipping them to Arizona requires more fuel than trucking natural trees from the Pacific Northwest.
Made primarily from petroleum-based products, such as plastic and vinyl, artificial trees do not absorb harmful gases or produce healthy ones. And, they do not decompose. Disposed artificial trees will likely spend centuries sitting in landfills.
For those looking to buy the “greenest” tree this Christmas, tree farmer Gayla Hansen says, “Natural trees are the obvious choice.”
— Joshua Schoonover