John Lewis is known for bringing out unconventionally designed Christmas trees that evoke a strong reaction from the public.
This year is no different, though the response may have swung more negative than usual.
The department store released a picture of its "alternative Christmas tree" on its Instagram account, and the product has prompted some heavy discussion in the comments.
READ MORE - We visited an Edinburgh Tesco megastore to see if people were still wearing masks
As reported by the Liverpool ECHO, the £25 Christmas tree, which is made up of 108 latex balloons, left some John Lewis fans debating whether it was environmentally friendly.
Along with the photo, the shopping chain wrote: "Looking for an alternative Christmas Tree this year? Our Ginger Ray Balloon tree is made up of over 100 balloons and contains everything you need to make this unique Christmas display. What do you think of this festive show stopper?"
Before long, the post had garnered almost 600 likes - with many users left frustrated by the product.
One said: “How in such a large company did one single person not realise this was a bad idea?”
A second wrote: “That it’s completely unsustainable for just a few days of the year.”
“SO MUCH DISPOSABLE ****,” raged a third.
Another commented said: “Not eco friendly is it?!”
Many others agreed.
One John Lewis follower posted: “Just a load of PLASTIC Tat ! Honestly JL have you not heard of the Climate Code Red ?”
A second agreed: “Not sure you've really thought about this John Lewis”.
A third shared: “Balloons should be made illegal. So bad for environment. Especially as this is single use I presume?”
Another added: “Speechless! More disposable rubbish to wreck the planet. I really hope you aren’t using helium to blow the balloons up as well.”
A fifth commented: “Gobsmacked at you advertising this product @johnlewis . @thegreenparty @greenpeaceuk will agree - studies of latex balloons show that whilst latex is advertised as biodegradable the chemicals that are added to balloons to give them colour and able to be blown up etc mean they’re no longer environmentally friendly. BALLOONS ARE THE MOST COMMON ITEM FOUND IN DEAD SEA ANIMALS STOMACHS! One balloon from one of these “trees” will still be intact in 5 years time. Each tree has 105! Why are you selling these?”
After being approached for a comment, a spokesperson for John Lewis said: "Our Ginger Ray Novelty Balloon Christmas Tree provides a unique Christmas display, and an alternative to a traditional Christmas tree.
"While this product is 80% biodegradable, the Partnership is committed to our ambitious environmental targets, and we're always looking at ways to do more to make our products more sustainable."
There were some people who liked the Christmas tree.
One fan said: “So cool!”
A second added: “I love this!”
"How gorgeous is this,” agreed a third.
