This holiday season, millions of Ontarians will look to find the perfect Christmas tree for their homes.
Some will select artificial trees, some will go for the real thing.
Those who elect to get a real Christmas tree may cite many reasons for doing so, as will artificial tree buyers, and both may argument that their choice is better for the planet.
Forests Ontario has weighed in on the subject by reporting that real Christmas trees are more environmentally friendly than artificial trees and, according to a recent province-wide poll commissioned by Forests Ontario*, many Ontarians agree…
Nearly half (48.3%) of respondents selected real Christmas trees as the environmental choice – a significantly higher number than the one-third of those polled who thought artificial trees were the better option.
“It is encouraging to see people’s awareness about the benefits of real Christmas trees trending in the right direction,” said Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario. “Christmas trees are planted and harvested by hundreds of farmers across Ontario, who place a priority on long-term sustainability. They are managed in a similar fashion to the local crops that we find on our plates.”
Central Ontario and Niagara/Hamilton were most in favour of the environmental merits of real trees, with 60% of respondents in each region selecting real trees as the environmentally friendly choice.
Bucking this trend, the GTA (not including Metro Toronto) was the only region of the Province that had a higher response in favour of artificial trees. At the same time, numbers for artificial and real support in the GTA were a near even split.
Arguments in favor of real Christmas trees are varied and include:
• They are 100% biodegradable.
• Christmas tree plantations act as a carbon dioxide sink.
• Christmas trees are sustainability raised, often on marginal land that wouldn’t support other types of agriculture.
• One acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen to meet the daily need of 18 people.
• Trees provide wildlife habitat plus soil and water retention.
Buying locally-grown (real) trees, further adds to the environmental benefits of real trees by eliminating much of the product transportation required. In addition, these purchases strengthen local communities. Ontario has over 600 farmers who produce more than one million Christmas trees each year.
In comparison, artificial trees are non-biodegradable, their manufacturing process requires large amounts of fossil fuels, they eventually end up in landfills, and are often foreign-made.
The transportation of artificial trees halfway around the world adds significantly to their overall environmental footprint.
Forests Ontario was created in 2014 as a result of the merging of not-for-profit organizations Trees Ontario and the Ontario Forestry Association (OFA). Forests Ontario is committed to the re-greening of Ontario through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas as well as the renewal and stewardship of Ontario’s forests through restoration, education and awareness.
For more information, visit forestsontario.ca or follow them on Twitter @Forests_Ontario.
* The 1,000-person survey by Oraclepoll Research entitled was conducted between November 10th and November 13th, 2014. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%, 19/20 times.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
