2018 Life Cycle Assessment

Live and artificial Christmas trees both impact the environment in different ways. A study released by the American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) provided an in-depth analysis of the environmental impacts of real and artificial Christmas trees. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), conducted by WAP Sustainability Consulting, compares the most common artificial Christmas tree with a similar live option. The report concludes that when comparing the two types of trees, artificial trees have a more favorable effect on the environment if reused for at least five years. Studies have shown that most artificial Christmas trees are used for an average of 10 years – more than meeting the LCA’s recommendation of five or more. The study takes into account multiple aspects of the procurement of both types of trees based on the same size comparisons of 6.5 feet. Artificial trees were looked at for factors such as manufacturing and overseas transportation. Planting, fertilizing, and watering was taken into account for real trees, which have an approximate field cultivation period of 7-8 years.

The impact of both types of trees varies based on how far consumers travel to get their tree, how they dispose of their tree (for live trees, landfill, incinerate, or compost), and how long consumers use their trees. Of the three disposal options for live trees, experts recommend composting, which turns the trees back into the soil and can support future carbon sequestration.

Overall, both types of trees have different types of impacts on the environment, and consumer choice and action plays a big part in minimizing environmental impacts – from how far they drive to get their tree, to how long they reuse it.