How to choose your Christmas tree

Brut America

Real or fake Christmas tree—what's better for the environment?  Banana Pancakes shares her tips for choosing the most sustainable option.

Transcript

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.

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