A “Green” Christmas Tree

Ever thought about how “green” your Christmas tree is…hey, we know it is literally green, but we mean how “green” it is.  Well if you haven’t, companies around North America have and they’re providing a great alternative to the traditional Christmas tree options.

One company, Evergrow Christmas Trees, was recently profiled in the Vancouver (Canada) media highlighting their new business focused on greening up the holidays. They offer to rent you a Christmas tree this year. These are real potted trees, which they will deliver and then pick up after the holidays (the cost is $100).  In this business model, the trees won’t get mulched or tossed in landfills the way regular trees do, they will be taken care of and rented out year after year until they are finally planted in the ground. You can also check out Carbon Sync Trees, who provide the same service. This service has been available in some Metro centers in the Unites States, but is just starting to catch on in Canada.

On the one hand, Christmas tree farms provide us with oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. They provide habitat to wildlife, are grown in otherwise infertile soil, prevent soil erosion, and are renewed. On the other hand, consumers balk at the waste of 40 million Christmas trees per year in North America, which are grown for 6 to 10 years to be enjoyed for one Christmas only.

Our focus at EcoSmart Products has always been on the need to reduce the waste of valuable resources. If these harvested, potted trees do indeed reduce the waste of a precious resource, we wish them the best of a green Christmas.

(story at: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/11/27/consumer-potted-christmas-tree.html)