Real vs. Fake: Why a Real, Local Christmas Tree Is the More Sustainable Choice

Barb Bacon, Bacon's Christmas Tree Farm

Quick answer: A real Christmas tree is a renewable, biodegradable crop grown on working farmland, while artificial trees are typically petroleum-based plastic, manufactured overseas, and not recyclable at the end of their life. For families weighing the environmental impact, a real, locally grown tree is generally the better choice.

We get this question every season, usually from someone who's genuinely trying to make the more responsible call for their family: is a real tree actually better for the planet than an artificial one? Here's how I'd answer it.

A Real Tree Is a Crop, Not a Product

Every tree on our 60 acres is grown, not manufactured. While it's growing, it's doing what trees do, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, and it's part of a working landscape rather than a factory supply chain. An artificial tree, by contrast, is typically made from PVC plastic and steel, most of it manufactured overseas and shipped a long way before it ever reaches a store shelf.

What Happens After the Season Is Over

A real tree is fully biodegradable. Many communities, including here in Kitsap County, offer tree recycling or chipping programs that turn old trees into mulch. An artificial tree, when it eventually wears out (usually after six to ten years of use), isn't recyclable in most areas and ends up in a landfill, where it can take centuries to break down.

Buying Local Keeps It Even Closer to Home

Beyond the tree itself, choosing a farm like ours means your purchase stays in the local economy and supports a family farm that's been part of this community since 1978, rather than a supply chain that runs through overseas manufacturing and national retail. Every tree you cut here traveled the distance from the field to your car, nothing more.

The Bottom Line

If you're weighing the environmental case, a real, locally grown tree comes out ahead on almost every measure: it's renewable, biodegradable, and grown right here rather than manufactured and shipped from overseas. We'd love to have your family cut one with us this season.