Weighing Sustainability of Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees

As people contemplate their holiday plans, they may find themselves in an environmental quandary, asking: Which is more sustainable, a real or artificial Christmas tree?

“I think a misconception about sustainability in general is that there are black-and-white decisions where one choice is always better than another choice,” says Lorena Grundy, Practice Assistant Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. “There are situations in which a real Christmas tree makes more sense and is more sustainable, and there are situations in which a fake tree makes more sense and is more sustainable. There’s not just one correct answer.”

This is just one way in which Grundy, who also directs the new master’s degree program in energy and sustainability engineering launching next fall, encourages her students to think about how lifecycle assessment and material sustainability apply in their day-to-day lives.

Grundy recently shared with Penn Today a few questions consumers can ask themselves to make a sustainable tree-purchasing decision — while acknowledging the value of other factors, such as the sentimental attachment she feels to the fake tree her parents have had since before she was born.

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Photo by Jose Martinez Calderon for Getty Images