christmas Archives - Mer-made LA

How to Recycle Your Artificial Christmas Tree & Decorations

In today’s post, learn how to recycle your Christmas Tree and decorations, as well as how to reuse, donate, or upcycle it first! If you bought a real Christmas Tree this year, read on for how to give it new life and ensure it stays out of the landfill.

If you still need a tree this year, check out my post about Real vs Artificial Christmas Trees!

Repurpose, Donate, Or Upcycle Your Artificial Christmas Tree First

If your artificial Christmas Tree has been around several years, it may have lost some of its luster. Maybe the lights are burned out, the branches are broken, or you’ve lost some of the pieces. Before you dispose of it, consider these ways to give your artificial Christmas Tree new life by reusing, upcycling, or donating your tree. Reusing what you have is the most sustainable option, so those suggestions are listed first.

Repurpose Your Used Artificial Christmas Tree

If your artificial Christmas tree is no longer Holly Jolly enough for your living room, it could still be useful. Many people enjoy decorating with more than one Christmas tree, so let your artificial tree retire as an additional decoration in your home. Try turning it into a themed tree: decorate it all in Harry Potter theme, go monochromatic, or let your kids decorate it however they want. You can add new strings of light to it, or change out some bulbs if its lights are burned out. If you need some inspiration, Martha Stewart (who else?) has a list of Christmas Tree decorating ideas.

Donate Your Used Artificial Christmas Tree

If you’re ready to part ways with your artificial Christmas tree, but it’s still usable, consider places in your local community that may want Christmas decorations for their own use. Schools, hospitals, libraries, churches, and thrift stores may be interested in your old tree! Let your tree continue fulfilling its “Christmas Destiny” by donating it and lighting up another part of your community for the holidays.

Alternatively, consider posting your tree for free on sites like Craigs List or Offer Up. Let it be your Christmas gift to someone in your community!

Don’t forget to include ornaments and working strings of lights that you no longer want. These can make the donated tree even more festive!

Upcycle: Create a New Decoration from Your Artificial Christmas Tree

If you don’t want to redecorate your artificial Christmas Tree, and it can’t be donated, consider upcycling parts of it rather than disposing of it entirely. Can you turn some of the branches into a Christmas wreath? Maybe you can fashion a garland for your mantlepiece out of the branches! Or turn it into several mini Christmas Trees. Pinterest has lots of cute inspiration. Creating new decorations from your old artificial tree helps to keep more plastic out of the landfill, and can make your space even more festive.

HOW TO Recycle YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE & DECORATIONS

Sometimes, a Christmas tree cannot be repurposed, donated, or even upcycled, and it’s taking up space in your home. Here’s how to dispose of artificial Christmas Trees, real Christmas Trees, and other Christmas decorations, responsibly.

Dispose of Your Artificial Tree Responsibly

Unfortunately, recycling an artificial Christmas Tree requires some effort, and may not be possible in your area. Your best bet is to call recycling centers in your area to see if they will accept your tree. It helps to know what your tree is made of: most are metal and PVC plastic, and PVC is often not accepted. If your recycling center can accept some, but not all, of your tree’s materials, try separating out the recyclable pieces. For example, you may be able to separate and recycle a metal stand or center pole, but not the branches.

If you cannot recycle your tree, and none of the repurposing, upcycling, or donation options are available to you, it will go to the landfill. You may need to schedule a bulk pickup with your local. waste service. Don’t forget to remove all ornaments and lights first!

Speaking of Christmas lights, these can be donated or recycled! Check with your local hardware stores during the holidays or your city’s website for local drop-offs.

How to Recycle a Real Christmas Tree

Refer to your local waste management service for Christmas Tree pickup. Cities that compost green waste may also recycle your tree! If you’re not sure, try using Earth 911’s Recycling Directory to find treecycling in your area.

For tips on composting, mulching, or chipping your Christmas Tree yourself for use in your garden, check out this informative blog post from Garden Betty!

How to Recycle Christmas Tree Decorations, or Dispose of Them Responsibly

My advice on other Christmas decorations is generally the same as that for trees:

Reuse your decor or ornaments in a new way. I love this ornament wreath idea!
Donate your used decor or ornaments within your local community.
Many communities will recycle holiday lights as part of a year collection program. Check your city or county website to see what is offered.
Recycle/dispose of your decorations using a Terracycle Zero Waste Box! We use Zero Waste Boxes for multi-layer plastics and other hard-to-recycle items in our home. Learn more about Terracycle’s process here.

As you prepare for the holiday season, I encourage you to make a commitment to sustainability. Whether that’s reusing an artificial tree you already have, upcycling your holiday decor, or decorating a real tree, making eco-friendly choices will help make your holiday just a little bit sweeter.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Lifestyle
Dec, 01, 2023

Real or Fake: How to Choose the Most Sustainable Christmas Tree

I love the holiday season, and I’m excited to put up our Christmas Tree this year! Like everything else, Christmas has an environmental impact. That’s part of being human: everything we do has an environmental impact. But, we can take conscious steps to reduce our impact while still participating in beloved traditions. In today’s post, learn whether a real or fake Christmas tree is more sustainable choice, and why.

Why a Real Christmas Tree is a More Sustainable Choice

Every year I LOVE going to a local tree lot and purchasing a big, beautiful, real Christmas Tree. The short answer is that real Christmas Trees are more sustainable than artificial ones! Plus, they smell sooo good. Fragrant pine needles aside, what makes a real tree more sustainable than an artificial one?

Artificial Trees Have Higher Carbon Emissions

According to the Nature Conservancy, 10 million artificial trees are purchased in the US each year, 90% of them from China. Manufacturing and shipping artificial trees across the globe requires a significant amount of energy and produces carbon emissions.

Artificial Trees are Harder to Recycle, Meaning They End Up In the Landfill

Furthermore, once they’ve reached their end of life, artificial Christmas Trees are difficult to recycle, so all that plastic usually ends up in the landfill. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade easily; according to the UN, it takes 20-500 years to decompose, and even then, it just gets smaller. Plastic waste is a huge environmental issue. While plastic is necessary in many parts of our modern lives, eliminating plastic where we don’t need it can help reduce our overall environmental footprint.

Real Christmas Trees Support Sustainable, Responsible Forestry

By contrast, real Christmas trees from responsibly managed farms take far fewer resources to produce. They absorb carbon dioxide while on the farm, and can be 100% composted or used for local ecosystem management projects once Christmas is over. Purchasing a real Christmas Tree from a local farm saves carbon emissions, and supports forest development. The Nature Conservancy states that out of the 350-500 million trees on farms in the US, about 10 million are harvested each year for Christmas trees. So many more hundreds of millions of trees remain on those farms, and your purchase supports them. Further, these tree farms plant 1-3 seedlings for every tree cut down. Being sustainable and fighting climate change is about using our resources more responsibly and sustainably–and supporting sustainable tree farms does just that.

How to Make Your Christmas Tree More Eco-Friendly & Sustainable

If you don’t have a Christmas Tree, yet, I’d encourage you to choose a local, real tree. If you already have an artificial Christmas Tree, that’s ok, too! Many actions we take on a daily basis contribute to our environmental footprint, and often to a greater extent than our yearly Christmas Tree. Read on for how to make your Christmas Tree more eco-friendly this year!

How to Minimize the Environmental Footprint of Your Christmas Tree

If you already have an artificial Christmas Tree, my advice is to keep using it! Using what you’ve already got is usually a good place to start when minimizing your environmental footprint. Once your artificial tree has lost its luster and you’re thinking of moving on, consider repurposing, donating, or upcycling it before ultimately recycling or disposing of it. The more use you can get out of your tree, the better.

If you’re buying a real Christmas Tree this year, save any extra branches to make a wreath for your front door, or garland for your mantlepiece! Real Christmas Trees often need to have some branches cut off before they’ll fit in a tree stand, and they’re perfect for wreaths and garlands. I added some decorative holly and a fabric flower I already had to our extra Christmas Tree branches. When the season is over, I compost the branches but save the decorations for next year’s wreath.

Another consideration for your eco-friendly Christmas tree is the lights. Opt for LED lights that are more energy efficient, or put your lights on a timer so they aren’t always on. Definitely make sure you turn off the lights when you aren’t home!

As you prepare for the holiday season, I encourage you to make a commitment to sustainability. Whether that’s reusing an artificial Christmas Tree you already have, disposing of holiday decor properly, or decorating a real Christmas Tree, eco-friendly choices will make your holiday just a little bit brighter.