Tis the season to rent-a-tree

Remarkably, plastic trees can be more ‘eco-friendly’ than the real thing. But greenest of all?

ArE you planning to buy your Christmas tree this afternoon? You’re not alone, as today is Bring Your Christmas Tree Home Day.

More Christmas trees will be purchased today than any other day of the year — and surveys show about 48 per cent of us will choose a real one rather than a fake one.

Half of us say the environment is a deciding factor, and at first glance, a real tree seems the planet-friendly choice. But it’s not that simple.

Seven million real trees are bought every Christmas in the UK, and as well as considerations such as where they’re grown and the energy used to ship them, what happens to them when we chuck them out can make a big difference to their carbon footprint.

also, while artificial trees made of unrecyclable plastic take a lot of energy to manufacture, some kinds are less harmful than others. They can also last for years, which may bring their carbon footprint down. Then there are ‘trendy’ trees — arty creations made of plywood or metal wrapped in wool, for example, with their own eco pros and cons.

Here, JENNY WOOD finds out which tree truly is the most green . . .