Christmas tree guide

Real or artificial Christmas tree?

Every December the same question: which tree is better for the planet? Here is a clear answer, and a third option that stays in the ground and keeps growing.

$6 per tree, VAT included · The card arrives by e-mail right after payment

Example card

Merry Christmas

The Miller family

2 trees have been planted in your name

“Our living room tree goes back to the forest in January. This one stays there.”

— Anna

The numbers

40 kg

of CO2 for a 2-metre artificial tree, mostly from making the plastic and shipping it.

The Carbon Trust, via Euronews
3.5 kg

of CO2 for a real tree of the same size without roots.

The Carbon Trust, via Euronews
10–20

Christmases you need to use an artificial tree before it comes out ahead of buying a real one every year.

Euronews, 2023

The short answer

A real tree from a local grower usually has a smaller footprint than an artificial one, as long as it is chipped, composted or burned after Christmas. An artificial tree is only the greener choice if you keep using the same one for a decade or more.

If you buy a real tree

  • Buy from a local grower, so it does not travel far.
  • Choose a tree from a well-managed plantation, where new trees are planted every year.
  • After Christmas, take it to your municipality's tree collection for chipping or composting. In landfill it rots and releases methane.

If you already have an artificial tree

Keep it and use it for as many Christmases as you can. The greenest artificial tree is the one you already own.

A tree that never leaves the forest

Whichever tree stands in your living room, you can also plant one that stays in the ground. We plant native Norway spruce, the classic Christmas tree, together with pine and birch in new forests, and look after them for decades. Plant one for your family, or give it as a gift with a Christmas card.

Why plant a Christmas tree that stays

The real Christmas tree

Norway spruce grows into a tall, dark evergreen in the northern forest.

A family tradition

Plant one every December and watch your family grove grow on the leaderboard.

Or give it as a gift

A Christmas card arrives in minutes. $6 per tree.

Start a family tradition

  1. 1

    Choose the trees

    One for the family, or one for each person. Each costs $6.

  2. 2

    Add your names

    The card says "Merry Christmas" with your family's name.

  3. 3

    Repeat every December

    Your family grove grows a little more each year.

Card messages for a family tree

For your own family, or as a gift.

  • Our living room tree goes back to the forest in January. This one stays there.
  • A new tradition: one tree every Christmas.
  • Merry Christmas from our family to the forest.

Questions about Christmas trees

Most Christmas trees are grown on plantations for that purpose, and new ones are planted each year. Buying a locally grown tree does not take trees from wild forests.

Take it to the tree collection point of your municipality, where it is chipped or composted. Remove all decorations first.

We plant young seedlings from a local nursery, not used Christmas trees. But you can plant a new spruce in your family's name for $6.

Every tree counts

Plant a tree for $6 in a few minutes, without leaving home.

Plant a tree

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