What's More Green: A Fake Christmas Tree or a Real Christmas Tree?

A fake Christmas tree can theoretically be used forever. A real Christmas tree has to be cut, bought, tossed out and replaced every year. So which one is better for the planet? According to the NY Times, the real one.

How is something reusable, worse for our environment? The reason is because a fake Christmas tree is made from mostly plastic and metal, which both have a high extraction cost. On top of that, most of the fake trees are made in China, which along with being thousands of miles away from your living room, also means there's a terrible shipping fee attached to its carbon footprint.

The benefits of a real Christmas tree? For being green: because it's completely natural and biodegradable. For just being better: because it smells wonderful and looks great. So next time you go Christmas tree shopping, ignore the fake and go for the real. You're doing yourself, and your planet, a huge favor. [NY Times]