Kelleher's Christmas Trees
Boleybeg, Brannockstown, Naas, Co. Kildare

Environmental Issues relating to Christmas Trees

Harvesting Real Christmas trees does not denude our forests. Real Christmas trees in Ireland are grown in special Christmas tree farms in much the same way as other farm produce is grown. This means that they are planted specially for Christmas tree production, they are tended and looked after during their growing period and, at the appropriate time, they are harvested. Furthermore, each tree that is harvested in December is usually replaced in January by another. Therefore, the buying of real Christmas trees does not "denude the forests" as some people seem to believe.

Real Christmas trees make an essential contribution to the atmosphere, -- cleansing it of carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen (called "carbon sequestration"). Therefore, the growing of real Christmas trees helps us to meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, which requires Ireland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to just 13% above their 1990 levels by 2012.
We must remember, however, that this carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere if real Christmas trees decay or are burnt. Therefore, in order to maintain the sequestration of carbon, it is essential to continue replanting each year.
Artificial Christmas trees, on the other hand, release carbon dioxide that has been locked up in fossilised form for millions of years. They also produce toxic hydrocarbons as a by-product of the manufacturing process and if they are subsequently burnt. See http://www.cqs.com/edioxin.htm

Christmas trees, and the surrounding hedgerows, provide an attractive and much-needed refuge for birds and other forms of wildlife. In general, real Christmas trees require a period of eight to twelve years to reach market size. This means that they can provide cover for wildlife all the year round and over the growing period.

If Real Christmas trees were not grown in Ireland, they would have to be imported, with the consequent loss of money from the country. On the contrary, our Christmas tree growers benefit the economy by exporting large quantities of real Christmas trees each year, mainly to the U.K.

Our county councils now have established recycling programmes to "chip" real Christmas trees when they are thrown out after Christmas, converting them into a valuable mulch which can then be used in parks and other amenity areas. We suggest that you take your tree along to your local county council depot after Christmas and they will be very happy to take it from you. It is nice to know that, in doing so, you are contributing to the beauty of our parks.

Please do not leave any metal, such as a stand screw, in the butt of the Christmas tree as it will destroy the blades of the chipper.

Alternatively, you can simply strip the branches from the stem with a seccateurs. Stand the stem to dry over the Summer in a corner of your garage. It will make excellent firewood. The branches can be easily disposed of in your regular garden waste.