Tradition
The family tradition of going out together and picking a real Christmas Tree to bring home and decorate is special experience for many. The amazing scent and look of a real lush green Christmas tree in the house cannot replaced.
The Environment
We all know how important trees are for the environment as habitats for animals and for carbon sequestration (they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen). Christmas tree farms are no different and for every tree that is sold another is planted to continue the cycle. We also farm our trees in an environmentally sustainable manner with the use of no insecticides and minimal herbicides.
The Carbon Trust estimates that a two metre artificial tree has a carbon footprint of around 40kg of CO2e (carbon dioxide plus other greenhouse gases’ warming potential) – more ten times that of a real tree that is composted or burnt (approx. 3.5Kg)
Most artificial trees are made from plastic – most often PVC film. Like other plastics, PVC is made from fossil fuels, a process that emits high levels of greenhouse gases. Around two thirds of the carbon footprint of an average artificial Christmas tree comes from the plastic it is made from; the metal frame, and transportation, also take a lot of energy – not usually green.
Most artificial Christmas trees on the Irish market are made in China. While shipping is slowly becoming more efficient, some still arrive by air, and there is still a significant carbon cost associated with transporting any goods from so far away.
The Economy
If you buy direct from a Christmas Tree Farm you are inherently supporting your local economy by keeping that money circulating in the local area through jobs and the inputs that go into farming trees. By buying from a local Christmas Tree farm also ensures that the trees have not been imported from another country which would mean a loss of money from our economy much the same as buying artificial Trees which generally come from China. We believe in supporting local whenever possible. https://justbuyirish.com/
