Local tree farmer discusses environmental impact of real and artificial Christmas trees

MOSELLE, Miss. - When it comes to Christmas trees, some people like to keep things traditional by purchasing a real tree.

Local tree farmer and owner of Smith's Christmas Tree Farm, Roger Smith, said buying a real Pine Tree for the holidays is the way to go. “Live trees, once you get through with them after Christmas, they are

biodegradable. You can grind them up and use them. You don’t have anything to go into the landfill,” he explained on the porch of his business.

According to the US National Library of Medicine artificial Christmas trees are made of Polyvinyl Chloride a non-recyclable plastic.

"It contaminates the environment as a whole, where a live tree does not. Actually, live trees are good for the environment because these trees produce oxygen that we breath and it’s clean air,” Smith said.

He explained each time one tree is cut down they immediately plant another to keep the farm and environment sustained. “If you cut one down you need to plant a new one and it takes about 4 years for one to get large enough to be a 7 or 8 foot tree,”

Smith shared that overall, it makes sense to buy a real Christmas tree because it's healthier for the earth and your family.