The festive season is almost upon us (okay, a few months away) and we will soon be dragging that same sorry Christmas tree out of the loft and setting it up for the thirteenth year running. This year though, with that depressing thought in mind, why not do something different? Why not get a real tree?

And before you start worrying about the painstaking process of hoovering pine needles up every day, did you know that there are plenty of non-drop varieties? Nordmann Fir and Fraser Fir are our personal favourite non-drop trees.

If you’re still not convinced, here are 5 awesome reasons to buy a real Christmas tree and ditch the faux tree!

Real Trees are Good for the Environment

Yep, this one might seem hard to believe but it is quite simple. Real Christmas trees are planted especially to be sold as Christmas trees, which means that trees are planted every year just to sustain the real Christmas tree market. In fact, you can contribute to these trees being planted by buying a real Christmas tree.

The higher the demand the more trees are planted, and it is estimated by The Carbon Trust that using a real Christmas tree is 10x better for the environment than a fake Christmas tree. For those who like putting their stats into practice, it would take you re-using your fake tree for ten years running for it to break even with a real Christmas tree for environmental impact.

Because trees produce more oxygen, Christmas Tree plantations and farms actually help improve the atmosphere.

If there is a tiny bit of you that is a green eco warrior, this year will no doubt be a real Christmas tree year for this very reason!

Think of the Children

In every family there is a designated tree decorator, whether it is mum or dad, who’s in charge differs from household to household. As for the kids, aren’t they just itching at the chance to help decorate the tree and maybe sneak off a few chocolates and candy canes? Many kids love helping, even if mum or dad need to reorganise it afterwards.

Unfortunately, it’s often a 5 minute job and the tree is once again ignored until they see the presents gathering underneath it.

This could change entirely if you get a real Christmas tree. The annual family gathering to decide what tree type to select with matching fairy lights quickly becomes a tradition. One thing we have noticed is that children pay more attention to a tree they have helped pick than one that gets pulled out of storage. Not only does it make Christmas about everyone, but makes your Christmas tree really mean something.

Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

Recycling Real Christmas Trees

We probably already convinced the Eco-friendly to convert to real Christmas trees with our first reason, but if that failed to convince you, then this will. Most faux trees are made of plastic, meaning that when they get too tired and old to be propped up in someone’s living room they will be discarded and more than likely make their way to landfill. A fake tree can’t be recycled.

A real Christmas tree is of course organic matter, meaning that if it is discarded and thrown away it is biodegradable and does zero net damage to the environment. Those of you a bit more green-fingered can do one better, compost your Christmas tree.

Composting your Christmas tree is a beautifully circular way of recycling your Christmas tree and maybe even helping grow something for your next Christmas festivities!

Even if you do throw your tree away in the green waste bins, they will likely end up as compost anyway, which is pretty cool if we say so ourselves.

The other option is to buy a potted Christmas tree that keeps on growing year after year! Sure, you might need to cut it down to size eventually, but otherwise it’s very low maintenance and saves us chopping down new trees year after year.

Real Trees Smell More “Christmassy”

For those of you who like to be reminded of things using your sense of smell, this one is for you. Unlike a faux Christmas tree, real Christmas trees give off a wonderful, subtle fresh pine needle smell. The same kind of smell that car air fresheners can never quite replicate.

If you don’t pay too much attention to the Christmas tree, your nose won’t let you down and each day you will be reminded with a lovely fresh Christmas tree scent.

Of all the smells of Christmas, a real Christmas tree has to feature in the top ten. If you haven’t got a real Christmas tree, you’re missing out on one of the little joys of Christmas.

Free Up Storage Space

Some of us are lucky enough to have ample storage space, others aren’t so lucky and each year it is frustrating finding where you stored the tree last year and then finding a space to store it this year.

Even trees that can be dismantled and stored in much smaller components take up a lot of storage room. For those living in the city or in properties with limited storage space a real Christmas tree should be a must have purchase.

Even a potted Christmas tree doesn’t take up too much space. You can keep it on the balcony or at the back of the garden until next year.

They look better, are natural and smell wonderful and can be recycled easily after use.

Go on, make your Christmas the best Christmas ever and make the world a better place by buying a real Christmas tree!