The merry season that is Christmas is just under one month away so it's time to start thinking about festive decorations, delicious food for vegetarians and carnivores alike, and not to mention the staple item; the Christmas tree!
Each year we hear of stories of fewer real Christmas trees being available to the British public, so it is advisable to start looking now if you are after a real fir this Yuletide. This year, according to the British Christmas Tree Growers' Association, there is also a shortage of tall trees. This means Brits may have to opt for shorter firs to spruce up their living space.
Sadly the lack of trees available is also pushing up the prices, and we could expect to see our favourite - the Nordman Fir - to cost as much as £70 for a 7ft version. This isn't the best news when people are already experiencing tighter budgets.
Real or fake?
With prices rising it wouldn't surprise us if more people are thinking about getting a fake Christmas tree this year. Seen as a one-off payment for a product that last for years it does seem like a sweet deal, but is it?
Despite offering a more long-term solution, most artificial trees are made from metal and plastics which makes them non-biodegradable. They will also most likely have been shipped for the Far East, clocking up lots of carbon footprint points before they end up all nicely decorated your living room. And if -and when - you decide to return back to a real tree, or invest in a new artificial tree, your discarded plastic needle decoration is likely to end up on a landfill for centuries... Does it still sound environmentally viable?
This year paper trees are proving extremely popular with the public, with the sales having more than trebled despite their £50 to £85 price tags. You might be too late to get a paper tree this year, but seeing as paper is made from trees we guess they are more sustainable than plastic ones...
How to have a green Christmas with real trees
True, cutting down trees to keep them for a fortnight or so isn't really eco-friendly of us, but by doing a bit of research - or simply reading on - you'll discover that there are many ways to have a enjoy a real tree without feeling like you're contributing to the destruction of woodlands and whatnot.
Seeing as Christmas trees get cultivated in designated farms here in Britain, you can sleep well at night knowing that for every tree cut at least one more will have been planted in its place - keeping the regeneration going for years to come. All BCTGA members also subscribe to a code of conduct that ensures their crops are sustainable and do not cause damage to local wildlife, so make sure you look out for the BCTGA logo when Christmas tree shopping.
What are the greener options?
We are big believers in buying locally, so find out where your nearest grower is and head there to pick your Christmas tree. Check out www.christmastree.org.uk to find your closest BCTGA grower.
If you are short of space or want your chosen tree to live on after the twelfth day, invest in a container grown tree that you can replant come January. And if you've got green fingers, chances are you can reuse it in 2012!
Renting a tree over the holidays is also a solution that many take advantage of, with more and more companies offering the service. Simply book which tree you'd like, book a delivery time, decorate and enjoy it, and then watch it go back to the field it came from after the holidays are over. If you want a merry little Norway spruce perhaps The Little Tree Company can help you.
Which tree are you going for this year?
