The HOTBIN Weekender #9
This weekend marks the beginning of the Christmas/Holiday season in the USA. While businesses are busy offering Black Friday Discounts, some of us are out getting our Christmas trees. On this week's HOTBIN Weekender, we are discussing a few topics related to Christmas trees, composting and our environment. How many trees are cut in the USA during this season, their positive environmental impact, how to reduce any negative impact... and last but not least, some useful tips for recycling them at the end of the season. As always, we hope you find this publication informational and useful.
How many trees are cut during the Christmas season?
Trees cut in the USA every year during Christmas is estimated to be around 33 to 36 million. These are trees that have been purposely and specifically grown for the season.
Do they have a positively or a negatively impact to the environment?
Although some conifers species are endangered by deforestation, the Christmas trees trade is not the main culprit in this case, as some precautions have taken place especially by Christmas trees farms to reduce any impact. For instance, Christmas tree farms are acclimatized to require less water consumption. Furthermore, while trees are growing... they are removing the carbon dioxide from the air and are turning it back into oxygen. Not only the trees are valuable resources, but also the soil around the trees which is usually covered in grass and flowers. Furthermore, plants that like to grow in the shade provided by the trees, attract bees and other pollinators. At the end of the season, Christmas trees can be re-planted, repurposed into mulch, or firewood.
To conclude, Christmas trees cutting does not have to have a negative impact on the environment. Whether the impact is positive or negative mostly depends on us... the consumers. Choosing Christmas trees from farms that use appropriate, environment-friendly cultivation methods, and recycling trees at the end of the season are the two major factors making their impact positive or negative.
How to reduce the environmental impact of Christmas trees
Those who are interested in the environment, it is good to do some research and choose from responsibly managed tree farms, with a good social impact, with low or no use of pesticides or herbicides and with environmentally responsible policies.
The best option is to try to find a responsible Christmas trees farm as close as possible to you. These tree farms can create jobs in communities near forests, helping to reduce pressure and forest exploitation and generate relevant incomes. In more developed countries these figures can be impressive. In the US, for example, fir trees farms provide 100,000 jobs and an annual turnover of over one billion dollars. Such farms works with harvesting periods of 8-10 years, at the same time creating a good habitat for different species. However, a poorly managed tree farm can generate negative impacts, a reduction in habitat and soil degradation.
Useful tips for Christmas trees recycling
The best way to minimize the impact of using a Christmas tree is to make sure that it doesn’t go to waste at the end of our holiday season. Here are some practical ways to recycle Christmas trees(some of which we covered on previous editions):
1. Use living Christmas trees that come with their roots intact and can be replanted soon after the holidays.
2. If decorating a living tree to further plant it is not an option, you can recycle it yourself by cutting the trunk for later use in your garden to serve as a resting spot for birds and other types of small animals. plants and birds.
3. You can preserve needles from the branches and store them in paper bags to preserve their smell. Add aromatic sachets and potpourris to use around your house.
4. If you don’t want to deal with the recycling on your own, most local municipalities have recycling programs for Christmas trees, for free or for a small fee. Just make sure to check the pickup dates and don’t forget to leave the tree in the designated space for this service. Some providers will pick the used trees, and turn them into mulch that you can get afterwards for use in your garden. Others, will turn your tree into ground cover to use on public buildings and parks in the area.
Gift Giving
While figuring out what gifts to buy for your loved ones... don't forget surprising the Chefs and Gardeners in your life with a HOTBIN Composter. More information on this website.
Recommended videos for this week
1. How Hot is Your Heap? Importance of verifying the internal temperature of your composting heap with HOTBIN extra thermometer.
2. Feed Me Now - Feed your HOTBIN every 3-4 days with Waste, Shredded Paper, Wood Chips & Stir
Our best wishes for the Thanksgiving Holiday Break!