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Gifted item.
I wrote a few blog posts over the last few years about how to make Christmas a little more sustainable. They are all about not going over the top with anything, buy less and buy better from small businesses, normalising second hand gifts when you can and about reusing decor and packaging. So the real pillars of a more sustainable Christmas.
The Christmas tree dilemma: real or fake?
The Christmas tree is also a big dilemma for many, but not to worry, I explain how most options ARE already sustainable – and that you have great choices. The rules are fairly simple: always opt for a real tree BUT if you already have a fake tree, then the most sustainable thing to do is keep reusing it! Or, gave it to charities and buy a real tree. Or get a second-hand fake tree and keep using that. Whatever you do: just don’t buy a brand spanking new artificial Christmas tree…
Now when it comes to real tree, there are a few things to keep in mind and there are plenty of options. Buying a sustainable real tree that is going to be recycled or buying a potted tree that you can keep in the garden.
We don’t have a garden as we live in a flat – many people inLondon and bigger cities do, potted tree is not possible to keep for next year. So, the best option is the sustainably sourced tree that will be removed and recycled.
About Pines and Needles
This year our tree was kindly gifted by Pines and Needles sustainably grown on one of their Scottish Christmas Tree farms. Pines and Needles is carbon positive for most of the year as their trees absorb carbon and emit oxygen. During the Christmas season Pines and Needles is carbon neutral as any emissions from transportation and delivery vehicles is offset by the trees still growing on the plantations. Not only that, but Christmas trees provide an excellent habitat for many bird species and other wild life.
You can buy their Christmas trees in their outdoor stores or order them online with Nationwide Delivery.
London Removal And Recycling Service
Like I mentioned earlier, we need to be able to remove the tree correct way and it gets recycled. This is a London only service and I can choose between basic, standard and premium services. I can book a preferred date in each case.
- Basic Service: outdoor removal and recycling, the tree must be left outside, and decorations removed.
- Standard Service: indoor removal and recycling: the decorations must be removed.
- Premium Service: indoor removal, undressing the tree and recycling (the removal team will do everything for you).
If you book you collection by 5pm they should be able to get someone out to you the very next day – depending on availability of course!
This is a great service because I don’t have to worry about a thing and the tree will not be littering the street for WEEKS, like in most cases when the council collects them.