With COP26 taking place in the UK this year, the spotlight is firmly on environmental issues and what we can each do to reduce our carbon footprints.
A great place to start is by ditching artificial Christmas trees for a more environmentally-friendly option.
Even if you buy a real Christmas tree, the Carbon Trust estimates that the carbon footprint of 2-metre tall Christmas tree to be around 16kg if it ends up in landfill.
Still, it wouldn't be Christmas without the tree, would it?
To help you out, we've rounded up some of our favourite eco-friendly Christmas trees that offer a trendy, alternative look for your home.
Sure, they might look a little quirky, but ultimately they are better for the environment than loads of decomposing and artificial Christmas trees ending up in landfills.
Real vs Artificial: Which One Should I Buy?
If you're opting for a real tree this year, they are a sustainable option as they grow themselves and are 100% recyclable afterwards.
It's worth considering that real trees shed, so if the fir needle tidy up isn't something you want to deal with, you might want to rethink.
Then of course, there is also the debate about cutting down trees and possibly leaving wildlife without a home. However, real trees aren't grown in wild conditions usually, so supporting your local Christmas tree business instead is also a way to shop sustainably.
Artificial trees tend to be made out materials like plastics and other non-biodegradable substances - meaning they aren't 100% recyclable.
And although you can reuse your old artificial number, you'd have to reuse it for a few Christmases (over 7+) to counteract the carbon footprint.
