Real vs Artificial Christmas Trees: The Honest Carbon Comparison
A two-metre artificial tree has a carbon footprint of around 40kg CO2e - over ten times that of a real tree that's recycled. Here's the maths.
"Surely it's better to reuse a plastic tree than cut down a real one every year?" It's the most common sustainability question we get, and the answer surprises most people.
The numbers
The Carbon Trust estimates a two-metre artificial tree has a carbon footprint of around 40kg of CO2e - mostly from the carbon-intensive plastics and steel it's made from, plus shipping (the overwhelming majority are manufactured in and shipped from East Asia).
A real two-metre tree that's chipped or composted after Christmas comes in at around 3.5kg CO2e. Even one that ends up in landfill (please don't) is around 16kg.
On those numbers, you'd need to reuse an artificial tree for roughly ten to twelve Christmases before it breaks even against a properly disposed-of real tree. Most artificial trees are replaced well before that.
Real trees aren't "cut down from forests"
Christmas trees are an agricultural crop, grown for the purpose on plantations - ours in Suffolk and the Scottish Highlands. For every tree we sell, another is planted in its place. While growing (typically 8–12 years), each tree is absorbing carbon, stabilising soil and providing habitat.
British-grown beats imported
Where your real tree comes from matters too. A large share of trees sold in the UK are imported from Scandinavia and the Low Countries - that's hundreds of road and sea miles before the tree reaches a forecourt. Buying British-grown cuts that journey dramatically, and buying from a local pitch cuts it again.
The greenest options of all
- A pot-grown living tree, kept and reused year after year, is the lowest-impact option there is - one tree, many Christmases. See our pot-grown Nordmanns.
- After Christmas, make sure a cut tree is recycled, not landfilled. We offer January collection and recycling across our delivery area, and most councils run drop-off points too.
The bottom line
A real, British-grown, locally bought, properly recycled tree is comfortably the lower-carbon choice - and a pot-grown living tree beats everything.