Green Christmas Tree

Is there such a thing as a green Christmas tree? Can you still be kind to the earth while chopping down a piece of it to bring into your home? The question of the artificial vs. the live Christmas tree has sparked more heated online debate than Freddy vs. Jason. Lately the green pendulum has swung to the side of the traditionalists. Perhaps the most green choice is no Christmas tree at all, but this is also the least fun choice, especially if you have kids. So how do you stand by your green values without being called a Scrooge?  Read on for tips on making eco-conscious choices no matter what side of the tree debate you fall on.

Live Christmas Trees

Organic Christmas Tree Farms

If you can’t imagine a Christmas without a live tree in your family room, you can still do it in a green way. As long as Christmas tree farms are practicing organic procedures, then cutting down a tree from a sustainable farm is actually earth-friendly. Trees are continually replenished and provide a habitat for animals. Besides, wouldn’t you rather see a successful green Christmas tree farm on the side of the road than the same land be developed into an unsightly shopping center? For a list of organic Christmas tree farms click here or check with your local nursery or garden center. If you get a pre-cut Christmas tree from a hardware store, chances are it’s been farmed using pesticides and shipped on a truck- not a very green option.

What do you do with the Christmas tree when the holiday is over? Most towns now have a recycling program for Christmas trees and will pick it up for free. Recycled trees are turned into mulch or used on waterfronts for shoreline stabilization. For a list of recycling centers in your town, visit Earth911. Or you can submerge the tree yourself into a lake or pond which will provide a fish habitat. And since you bought an organic tree, there’s no need to worry about chemicals being released into the atmosphere. Or secure it in your own back yard and hang bird feeders from it. When spring comes it will be brittle enough that you can turn it into mulch yourself for use in your landscaping.

Living Christmas Tree

An even more green option that is gaining in popularity is purchasing a potted, living Christmas tree with the roots still attached which can then be planted after the holidays. Again, you can check with your local nursery for information on where to find a potted tree near you. If you don’t want to plant the tree in your own yard, you can donate it to your town, school or church. Or you could sell it to a local landscaper. There are specific care instructions for having a potted Christmas tree, such as they can only be indoors for a small period of time. Most experts say 7-10 days so if you like to have your tree longer than that you’ll need to keep it on the porch, which can be just as festive. The Original Living Christmas Tree Company provides potted trees to residents of Portland, Oregon. They have some great tips on doing it yourself which you can check out here.

Green Christmas Tree Alternatives

There are many do-it-yourself ideas for Christmas tree alternatives. Everything from recycled green bottle Christmas trees to stringing lights around a wooden step ladder. These are perfect options for the apartment dweller or if you’re going out of town for the holidays. A favorite D-I-Y green alternative is to grab a few twigs or a small fallen branch from the woods, stick it in a pot, hang a red glass bulb from it and you have the ultimate Charlie Brown Christmas tree. You can also decorate a tree in your yard as your designated Christmas tree. Here are some other green options for your holiday decorating.

Possibilitree

Possibilitree

Possibilitree was started by an architect who had tired of the hassle of a cut Christmas tree. So he designed an attractive green alternative. Each tree is handmade in the United States by skilled woodworkers. A family-run business, Possibilitree strives to create their trees from naturally fallen trees whenever possible. They can be used year after year, are lightweight, portable and easy to store and assemble. They have an architectural modern look to them. Of course you wouldn’t want to put any lighted candles near them, but you can light them with LED spotlights or LED ornaments. You can get the 3 foot tabletop version for $195.00 or the 6 foot suspended tree that hovers 18 inches above the floor so you can still put presents “under” the tree for $350.00.

Take a look at the Possibilitree here.

Driftwood Tree

Driftwood Tree

These driftwood trees by Fawbush & Schulz are made from shoreline driftwood and add a natural earthy atmosphere to your holiday table. They come in 2 sizes: 24″ high or 31″ high. At $179.00 and $405.00 respectively, they are more pricey than your other green options. However, they could be used year round and decorated for every holiday. These are nice if you’re looking for more of a “winter” tree than a Christmas tree.

You can get a driftwood tree at Fawbush & Schulz.

Rosemary Christmas Topiary

Rosemary Christmas Topiary

For a more economical green Christmas tree, try a Rosemary bush. This topiary has been trimmed to a Christmas tree shape. Just add some ribbon, ornaments, and a few LED mini lights. Toss a festive blanket around the bottom and you’ll have your very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Rosemary adds a nice scent to the home and you can even snip off a few ends now and then for cooking.

You can order this Rosemary Christmas Topiary from Amazon for $27.50.

Norfolk Island Pine – The Indoor Christmas Tree

Norfolk Island Pine - The Indoor Christmas Tree

The Norfolk Island Pine is another houseplant that would make an economical green Christmas tree. These trees grow to a height of 80 feet in their natural habitat, but will keep at a controlled size when indoors. Again, wrap some LED mini lights around it and you’ll have an exotic Christmas tree.

You can get one in a 4″ pot or a 6″ pot on Amazon.

Artificial Christmas Trees

Artificial Christmas trees have recently undergone bad press: most are imported from China and are made of PVC that may or may not contain lead.  The best option for an artificial tree is to get one made in the United States. The benefits of artificial trees are that they are reusable and therefore more economical in the long run. They carry less of a fire hazard than live trees, but remember, they’re flame retardant, not fire-proof.  Mountain King has been manufacturing artificial Christmas trees in the U.S. for over 75 years. Their trees are made of 100% recycled lead-free PVC. We like the recycled, lead-free part, but the downside is the use of PVC which is a non-renewable plastic. As long as artificial trees are made with these non-biodegradable plastics, they won’t be the best choice for a green tree. Only get an artificial tree if you’re confident you want to keep one for a lifetime, perhaps even pass it down to your kids. The Mountain King brand is a high quality choice and you can purchase one here.

Feather Tree

The first artificial Christmas tree was made by the Germans in the 1800s. Due to widespread deforestation in Germany, the German people were forced to come up with an alternative to live Christmas trees. Since feathers from various birds were readily available, they made tabletop Christmas trees from them. This feather tree is a 27″ lightweight tabletop model, handmade and flame retardant. It has been featured on HGTV and the Today Show. Another good source for traditional style German green feather trees is Christmas Traditions. Or if you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own here.

The 27″ Tabletop Feather Christmas tree sells for $53.99 on Amazon.

Aluminum Christmas Tree

Aluminum Christmas Tree

Hey Daddy-O, how about a 50s Christmas? Aluminum Christmas trees were popular from the late 1950s through the 60s until the 1970 Charlie Brown Christmas special knocked them off their pedestal, but Lucy may have been thinking green after all. Aluminum trees are recyclable. This retro aluminum Christmas tree from Yuletide Expressions is made in the United States of 100% safe and renewable materials, including the stand and base. They come in classic or slimline styles ranging in price from $225.00 to $830.00 with a size range from 4 feet to 9 feet tall.

Visit Yuletide Expressions here.

At Metaefficient, we try to only feature products that are toxin-free. Take interior paint, for example — how can a paint be considered “efficient” if it leaks toxic substances into your home for months or even years? According to the EPA, VOC-laden paint is a primary contributor to unhealthy indoor air, and it can significant impact your health. As anyone who has painted a room in their house can attest, paint gives off fumes as it is applied and, especially, as it dries. And those gases are full of VOCs, which cause a wide variety of health problems, particularly respiratory problems.

Efforts by a slew of environmental and public health groups have succeeded in getting the word out about the health dangers of VOC paints. And in classic capitalistic fashion, the nation’s paint producers have responded by developing low-or-zero-VOC paint products.

According to Green Seal, a nonprofit organization that sets standards for obtaining low-VOC certification for paint, the VOC levels in a flat top coat wall paint should be less than 50 grams per liter to qualify as low-VOC. For higher-sheen paints, like satins or semi-glosses, that figure goes up to 100 g/l. This same standard applies for primers, undercoats and floor paints as well.

Listed below are some of the paint brands most popular with the average consumer (i.e. someone who purchases paint at one of the nation’s home improvement stores). For comparison’s sake, each product selected is a flat interior top coat paint, which, as noted above, qualifies for low-VOC status if the VOC content is 50 grams per liter or below.

Miller Paint Acro Pure Interior Acrylic Latex

Best Low VOC Paints: Miller Paint Acro Pure Interior Acrylic Latex

Miller Paint is a popular paint supplier in the Pacific Northwest. Miller sells its paint through retail stores throughout Oregon and Washington, and reached beyond the Northwest through independent dealers in Arizona, California, Hawaii and New Mexico.

Miller’s Acro Pure paint is an ultra-low-VOC interior acrylic latex finish designed for application to the interior walls in residential, commercial, institutional and industrial environments. The company recommends this paint for new or previously painted interior wallboard, plaster, masonry or previously painted or primed metal or wood substrates. Acro Pure is also enhanced with antimicrobial protection to inhibit the growth of odor-causing mold and mildew bacteria on the dried paint surface.

With less than 6 g/l for its flat interior, Acro Pure easily meets the Green Seal standard. It’s priced at $30.95 per gallon.

BEHR Premium Plus Interior Flat Ultra Pure White

Best Low VOC Paints: BEHR Paint Premium Plus Interior Flat Ultra Pure

BEHR is the in-house favorite at The Home Depot, one of the nation’s most popular home improvement stores. As such, it is one of the most easily accessible paints for typical American do-it-yourselfers. The company’s Premium Plus Interior Flat Ultra Pure White is a common base paint. With a traditional matte sheen, the paint is described as ideal for family rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, hallways and ceilings that require a scrubbable, mildew resistant finish.

With a VOC content of 46 g/l, this paint just barely scrapes under the Green Seal standard of 50 g/l.. It is priced at $20 per gallon.

Valspar Ultra Premium Flat Finish

Best Low VOC Paints: Valspar Ultra Premium Flat Finish

Valspar is the go-to base paint at Lowes, the nation’s other home improvement giant. According to the company, the Ultra Premium Flat Finish will enhance the walls and ceilings throughout the home with just one coat. Guaranteed to last a lifetime, this premium paint is also spatter resistant during application and gives a mildew resistant finish.

While no specific VOC levels are provided for this paint, the company assures consumers that VOC content is less than 50 g/l, making it just worthy of Green Seal certification. It is priced at $20 per gallon.

Sherwin-Williams’ Duration Home Interior Acrylic Latex

Best Low VOC Paints: Sherwin-Williams Duration Home Interior Latex

Sherwin-Williams has been around for a long time — long before the big-box stores hit the home improvement scene. In fact, the company got its start way back in 1866. Since then, Sherwin-Williams has not only grown to be the largest producer of paints and coatings in the United States, but is among the largest producers in the world, selling its paint through retail stores and dealer partners on every inhabitable continent. The company’s low-VOC product is its Duration Home Interior Acrylic Latex, which the company promises will provide long-lasting durability, ideal for high-activity areas like kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms. Duration Home Interior also carries the Sherwin-Williams’ GreenSure designation, which means that it offers maximum performance and long-term durability, and was designed and manufactured taking steps to reduce environmental impact and to meet or exceed the most stringent regulatory requirements.

This paint’s VOC content weighs in at 15 g/l, far lower than BEHR and Valspar, but not quite as low as Miller. It is priced at $48.99 per gallon.

The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens

With Memorial Day Weekend right around the corner, it’s time to start looking forward to a little fun in the sun. But if you’ve ever woken up with burning, itchy skin after that sun-filled weekend, you know how important the right SPF can be to prevent skin cancer, premature aging and skin damage that can come along with too many rays.

Sometimes, though, this seems like a bit of a trade-off. Sure, too much sun can be bad. But are the parabens and chemicals laced in your favorite sunscreen better than overexposure from the sun?

Fortunately, a number of responsible companies have taken the time to create sunscreens that don’t make you choose. These companies have taken the harsh chemicals out of their sunblock and replaced them with good-for-your-skin ingredients. Better yet, the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database provides an incredible resource in the form of a rating system that tells you what’s best and what’s worst when it comes to all the products you use every day.

If your favorite sunscreen is rated a 0, there’s little concern about its ingredients being harmful. If it’s a 10, it’s best to stay away. All of these picks fall on the 0-2 scale, so you can slather up without stressing out!

Best All Around: Loving Naturals Organic SPF 30 Sunscreen

The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens: Loving Naturals Organic SPF 30 Sunscreen

This certified organic, vegan, cruelty free Loving Naturals Organic SPF 30 Sunscreen is made of 100% natural ingredients and is water resistant and non-greasy. The creators of this product started a company out of the desire to keep their children safe from ingredients they couldn’t pronounce. They research everything that goes into their products, so you can feel safe using them. And the Environmental Working Group would agree. They give this sunblock a big, fat 0!

This sunscreen is available from Amazon for $23.74.

Best for Baby: Heiko 40 SPF Kids

The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens: Heiko 40 SPF Kids

Offering UVA and UVB protection and 100% natural ingredients, Heiko 40 SPF Kids sunscreen contains 63% organic ingredients. Its water resistance comes from natural oils, and it is ranked the number one sunscreen out of 527 rated by the Environmental Working Group.

This sunblock is available for $37.00 for seven ounces on Amazon.

Best for Faces: Goddess Garden Natural Facial Sunscreen

The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens: Goddess Garden Natural Facial Sunscreen

Another 0 on the Environmental Working Group’s List, Goddess Garden Natural Facial Sunscreen is made of 79% organic ingredients and contains essential oils shown to repair skin damage.

This sunblock is available from Goddess Garden for $15.99 for 3.5 ounces.

Best from the Drugstore: Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunblock Stick

The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens: Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunblock Stick

Let’s face it, sometimes we’re at the beach and get caught sans organic sunscreen without a Whole Foods in sight. For those times, when we have to run to Walgreen’s and do the best we can, there’s Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunblock Stick. It is SPF 60, uses naturally-sourced sunscreen ingredients and is waterproof, sweat proof and fragrance free, giving it a respectable score of 2 from the Environmental Working Group. Plus, even though it’s meant for baby, you can use it too!

If you’re planning ahead, this stick is available from Amazon for $8.75.

Best on a Budget: Caribbean Solutions Sol Guard

The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens: Caribbean Solutions Sol Guard

If you want great, natural skincare without breaking the bank, this Caribbean Solutions Sol Guard it a perfect option. Made with natural essential oils and titanium dioxide for sun protection, this SPF 25 received a score of 2 from the Environmental Working Group.

It is available in a two pack, six ounces per bottle, for $26.24 at Amazon.

Pacifiers that do not contain toxic materials are efficient. Infants are much more susceptible to chemical contamination that adults. A company from Denmark, Natursutten, makes 100% rubber pacifiers using natural latex from the tree Hevea brasiliensi. These pacifiers have no artificial colors, chemical softeners, parabens, PVC, or phthalates. They are softer than pacifiers made of silicone or plastic.

Natursutten pacifiers are also very hygienic because they are molded in one piece, so there are no joins where bacteria can accumulate. They are available from Zoe-B Organic for $5.99 each.

For those concerned about rubber allergies, for these pacifiers, the protein that on rare occasions can provoke a latex allergy is eliminated during production. They are made to conform to the Pacifier Safety requirements by European standard EN 1400.

Via: Green Fertility