Before every Christmas, there is a question: shall we buy a real or an artificial Christmas tree? Here are some thoughts which might help to decide.
Real pine tree: unlike common misbelieves, forests are not destroyed because of Christmas trees. Hungarian producers deal with breeding of pine trees, dedicated to this purpose. Just like in the case of wheat or carrot. New trees are planted in the place of those that were sold, this way the circulation remains. Since it is grown and transported locally, max. 200-250 kilometers far, its ecological footprint is low. Cut trees thrown out in January are taken away for firewood or chopped. Of course, it decomposes. If there is place for it, potted pine tree could be a good option: it can decorate the garden for many years. There are some markets, to where the trees can be brought back after the holidays.
Artificial pine tree: It is made of PVC, mostly in China. Transportation can be measured in thousands of kilometers, so its ecological footprint is significant. PVC is environmentally harmful, though it is reusable with a large energy expenditure (this happens very rarely). It has no fragrance of course. Its advantage: the question of Christmas tree is solved with one-time payment for years. It is quite durable with proper storage, doesn’t shed its needles and doesn’t need watering. It is always perfectly neat and can be purchased in several colors, sizes and finishes.
Ask for help of an interior designer for festive decoration of your home also.