Christmas is getting closer and closer, are you already thinking about a Christmas tree too? Will you go for a real Christmas tree this year or will you bring the fake one back from the attic? A real Christmas tree may seem innocent, but did you know that 2.5 million trees are sold and then thrown away every year at Christmas? They often end up in the garbage or on the pyre. Not exactly environmentally friendly. But how can you make sure your Christmas tree doesn't end up in the garbage and that you choose an environmentally friendly tree? We found out for you.
Sustainable Christmas tree from Beterboompje.nl
In 2020, the BeterBoompje.nl initiative was founded by Frank & Alex to help get disposable Christmas trees out of the Netherlands. Their goal? To replace the 2.5 million real Christmas trees that are bought and thrown away every year in the Netherlands with organic, sustainable adoption Christmas trees that can be used for several years. Because it takes some time before these trees can actually be used, BeterBoompje has partnered with Adopteer een Kerstboom. For every BeterBoompje tree without a root ball, they plant two reusable organic adoptable tree seedlings in the BeterBoompje Forest. You can also choose a Christmas tree with a root ball. You can pick this one up at a pick-up point and return it after the holidays. Then it will be planted back in the Christmas Tree Forest. Great organization right?
How does renting a Christmas tree work?
You can order your future Christmas tree today. You can do this in the webshop of BeterBoompje.nl. There are several pick-up points where you can pick up your tree on different dates and times starting Friday, December 3. The cities where you can pick up your Beterboompje are: Amsterdam, Breda, Delft, Den Bosch, Den Haag, Ede, Eindhoven, Haarlem, Nijmegen, Rhenen, Rotterdam, Scheveningen and Utrecht. You can return this Christmas tree to the pick-up point after the holidays on Sunday, January 9. Afterwards, the tree with root ball and all will be returned to nature so that they can be used again for Christmas in the following years. If there is no location near you, you also have the option of having a Christmas tree without root ball delivered to your home. Remember that the climate impact of a Christmas tree without root ball is about the same as a 25 kilometer car ride. So make sure you get your sustainable Christmas tree close to home. Otherwise, it's still not really sustainable ;)
Second-hand artificial tree is also sustainable!
Rather not have a real Christmas tree? Then you can also opt for a second-hand artificial tree, for example from a thrift store or Marktplaats. Or maybe someone you know still has a tree somewhere in the attic. This tree has already been made, so it can easily get a second life. To be more environmentally friendly than a real tree, you have to use it for at least 9 to 17 years. Still, do you really want to buy a new artificial tree? Then make sure you choose one of good quality so it will last for years.
Sustainable Christmas decorations
A Christmas tree alone is not enough, of course ... you probably want to decorate your brand new (second-hand or adopted) tree with baubles, garlands and lights to make it all festive. Many stores have been full of Christmas decorations since October, and the temptation to buy new decorations for your tree every year is strong. But when you have an eco-friendly Christmas tree from BeterBoompje, it's nice to keep the decorations sustainable as well. But how do you do that?
- Second-hand/exchange
Instead of new Christmas decorations, you can choose second-hand Christmas decorations. Check your local thrift store to see what they have in their Christmas collection. Or check marketplace to see if there is someone in your area who is selling their baubles and Christmas lights, or perhaps giving them away. Many people get tired of changing their Christmas decorations after a while and therefore get rid of them. Another option is to trade Christmas decorations. That way you make someone else happy with your old Christmas decorations and you have another newly decorated tree.
- Be creative
Besides buying Christmas decorations new or second-hand, it is also fun to make your own. Be creative and look at what you have left in your house to make Christmas decorations with. Maybe fabric for a garland. This is also an instant fun activity for during the Christmas vacations. The possibilities are endless, so be sure to do a roundup on Pinterest for more DIY Christmas inspiration.
- Lighting
Lights are really part of the Christmas spirit, and everyone has lights in their homes. In the whole of the Netherlands that amounts to a lot of lights. All together, the Dutch have 175,000 kilometers of Christmas lights in their homes. With this you can go around the world four times. On average per household that is 27.68 meters of lights. Research shows that half of these are thrown away. So try to use your Christmas lights as long as possible and possibly repair them if they are broken. If it's really beyond repair, turn them in at a collection point. As much as 80% can still be recycled. For example, you can hand them in at Wecycle drop-off bins. These can be found at various stores. If you need new light bulbs, at least go for LED lighting. This is one of the most sustainable options and costs much less electricity than other types of lighting.
Still looking for a sustainable gift for under the Christmas tree?
Then check out our sustainable gift guide for inspiration or keep an eye on our Slow blog. Because next week we will have a blog for you with 6sustainable gift ideas for Christmas.
