This question originally appeared on Quora.
Answer by Darshan Shankar, Entrepreneur, Y Combinator Alum
Real trees are significantly better for the environment.
Benefits of real trees:
- An acre of fir trees can consume 12,000lbs of CO2. [1]
- For every Christmas tree cut down, tree farms plant one to three new trees to protect and maintain a healthy supply. [2]
- Trees are usually planted in otherwise unusable areas such as barren slopes, making them a good use of land.
- 85% of fake trees are made in China. Trees you buy at a local tree lot usually come from tree farms in your state. Not only does this help local US businesses, but this cuts down on the carbon footprint. [4]
Fake trees have one benefit: reusability. If you reuse a tree for fifteen to twenty years, you'll start to break even on the environmental impact.
Sources:
More questions on Christmas Trees:
