Louise Sallée, edited by Manon Fossat 10:33 am, December 02, 2021
The end of year celebrations are approaching and with them the purchase of the Christmas tree that we will store at home.
Natural fir or reusable plastic fir, the question arises for many households.
But from an ecological point of view, which has the least impact on the environment?
Europe 1 takes stock.
Which Christmas tree to choose for a minimum impact on the environment?
A reusable plastic tree?
Or a natural tree, bought back every year?
If the latter is more popular, with 20% of French households having bought one in 2020, against 3% for artificial trees, it is also the most ecological.
But on condition that you meet a few criteria.
>> Find the morning show of the day in replay and podcast here
A plastic tree for 20 years
The natural fir indeed prevails over plastic if it has been cultivated in France - so that its transport is the least polluting possible - if its culture does not require too many chemical inputs or too much water - it there are labels to certify it - and whether it is left in its natural state before being composted. This is what explains Florence Clément, information officer at the Ecological Transition Agency. "The tree must not be covered on its branches with artificial snow or colors because unfortunately that no longer makes it compostable", she explains.
"Then, you have to put the natural fir in the place indicated, where it can be recovered and shredded. This will produce a natural amendment for the soil which can be interesting", continues Florence Clément.
The plastic tree is not biodegradable, but that is not an ecological aberration.
The condition is to reuse it for at least 20 years in order to compensate for its production, often Asian, which is very polluting.