Most Austrians rely on a real Christmas tree for Christmas – a total of well over 2 million trees are sold every year. “Over 90 percent of the Christmas trees sold in Austria come from domestic production – this saves long transport routes and therefore CO2 emissions,” explains Karin Enzenhofer, forest expert at WWF Austria. However, if you are looking for a Christmas tree that is as sustainable as possible, you have to consider more than just its origin. The WWF therefore gives five concrete tips on how to get the most nature-friendly Christmas tree possible:
Tip 1: Prefer organic
“If you want an environmentally friendly Christmas tree, it’s best to buy in Organic quality“, advises Karin Enzenhofer from WWF. “This guarantees, among other things, that no chemical-synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilizers were used during cultivation. In addition, the soil is less stressed.” The grass around the trees is mown in a nature-friendly manner or grazed by sheep. Organic Christmas trees also make more sense from a health perspective, as conventional trees can release pesticides and the like in the heated living room.
Tip 2: Pay attention to the top
Organic trees currently only cover around 1 to 2 percent of demand. If an organic Christmas tree is not available, you should choose a Christmas tree from the region in order to keep transport routes and therefore CO2 emissions as small as possible. The origin of a tree can be identified by the paper bow at the top, which represents the colors of the respective federal state. You should avoid buying an unmarked Christmas tree from the hardware store. These trees are often imported from Northern and Eastern Europe and felled early. The necessary cooling until sale and the long transport routes mean a lot of energy consumption.
Tip 3: Leave exotic tree species standing
Around 85 percent of Christmas trees in Austria are fir and 14 percent are spruce. Nordmann firs and blue spruces are particularly popular. Both species are not native to this country and are therefore not adapted to the local flora and fauna. Therefore, larger amounts of pesticides have to be used when raising them. You are better off with the Norway spruce, which is native to Austria.
Tip 4: Dispose of properly
A Christmas tree should only be disposed of neatly, i.e. without tinsel or other decorations. In your own compost heap, the (organic) Christmas tree can make a valuable contribution to building up humus. The trees are taken from specially set up collection points to biomass power plants, where they are burned to generate energy.
Tip 5: Be careful with alternatives
Trees are most sustainable when they can continue to live after the holidays. In recent years there has been a trend towards “trees in pots”. However, there are several things to consider here: “Many potted firs come from conventional husbandry, others are not viable after planting because their roots are stunted or have been severely pruned – or because the large temperature differences between the heated living room and the outside temperature are too much for them “warns Karin Enzenhofer from the WWF. Therefore, the “tree in the pot” should be a local, organic tree grown in Austria that feels comfortable in the garden after the holidays. The same applies to the DIY Christmas tree made from branches and brushwood: organic, regional and local.
So how do you find the perfect Christmas tree?
Basically, the same criteria determine sustainability for the Christmas tree as for food – regional organic products are best. However, if you really want to celebrate a sustainable Christmas and don’t have room in the garden for an organically certified Norway spruce from a pot, you should generally consider buying a Christmas tree because: “The perfect tree only exists in the forestsays Karin Enzenhofer from WWF.
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