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Plastic Christmas tree sales are increasing considerably and the Norwegian Nature Conservation Society is concerned.
Now there is a price war between the Christmas tree chains, with prices as low as 99 crowns. But more and more Norwegians are choosing to replace the real tree with a plastic Christmas tree, at sky-high prices.
– While the trend in the past was to buy a simple and affordable artificial Christmas tree, now we see that customers are willing to invest a little more in it to get one that looks as realistic as possible, says General Manager Øyvind Krohn in Hageland. the chain to Nettavisen.
The most expensive plastic Christmas tree in Hageland right now is priced at up to 30,000 crowns, for a tree 4.5 meters tall.
– There are not many who have that ceiling height at home in their home privately, but there are some. This is not a tree that we sell much of, but we have sold usable this year, between 15 and 20 trees, says Krohn.
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2200 led-lys
The expensive Christmas tree is one of a series of artificial Christmas trees in various sizes, which should have a realistic appearance, according to the garden chain.
– More and more people demand a tree that looks real. This is a fairly dense, full-bodied model that looks like a fir tree, says Krohn.
The Christmas lights on the tree are also fully attached, and on the largest tree it means 2200 LED lights, with five levels of dimming, so you can choose different brightness.
– We have used our gardeners to try to recreate the most natural tree possible, he says.
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– Money to recover
But since not everyone has it so high under the roof at home, more people choose a tree that is 3.60 or three meters high. So the price is also high, 20,000 or 15,000 crowns.
– Who buys the most expensive trees?
– The target group for these trees is naturally not that big, but the clients are a combination of some individuals and companies for offices or larger commercial buildings. Of course, most people choose within the normal range, but we have companies like customers and individuals who think it’s okay to spend a little more money to get it right for Christmas, says Krohn.
He says they also see Norwegians now spending more money on other expensive Christmas decorations and figures.
– When it comes to Christmas decorations, we sell a number of decorative items in our stores for 10-20,000 crowns, which go to individuals, he says.
– A sharp increase
– How are the sales of plastic trees in general?
– There has been a huge increase, and we see it especially this year, because more will celebrate Christmas at home. We’ve sold significantly more than previous years, and it’s good in a year where we need the bright spots we can get, he says.
The sale of Christmas trees also started much earlier than before.
– We see that it has been decorated for Christmas much earlier, because we have sold many trees much earlier than before. It works well when you have a plastic tree, but it doesn’t work when you have a natural tree, because then it’s sprayed before Christmas Eve, Krohn says cheerfully.
The Norwegian Society for Nature Conservation: – Hazardous waste
However, the Norwegian Society for Nature Conservation has little left for increased sales of plastic Christmas trees.
– We recognize that in individual cases, for example allergy sufferers, it may make sense to use plastic Christmas trees. But with access as good as we have to natural forests and Christmas trees in Norway, there is nothing to indicate that this should spread so violently, says environmental toxin advisor Per-Erik Schulze of the Conservation Association of the Nature of Nettavisen.
Schulze points out that plastic Christmas trees can be very harmful to nature.
– Plastic Christmas trees are a mixture of plastic more or less toxic to the environment, and often with built-in lighting. So by definition it’s a hazardous waste, he says, continuing:
– The problem of waste from plastic Christmas trees will sooner or later be proportional to what is sold, for one day this will be handled as waste.
He also points out that Norway is one of the countries that produces the most waste due to high consumption, and that we have a low recycling rate.
– I’m worried
Schulze is also concerned about the consequences for people who have a lot of plastic in their homes.
– I am concerned about what we bring home from environmental toxins and products containing plastic, because we know that when researchers take samples of household dust, they find a cocktail of various substances that are dangerous to health and the environment. Many of the substances are associated with this type of product, and then we will inhale it every day, he says.
Therefore, he believes that a real Christmas tree is better for health.
– Many people worry about keeping it clean for Christmas, and think that then it is an advantage with plastic. But I’d rather have some insects and spruce bark lying around than environmental toxins that can stay in the house for ten years, says Schulze.
– What do you think of people who buy plastic trees for up to 30,000 crowns?
– There is no doubt that this testifies to a luxury consumption in Norway, that we buy a lot that strictly speaking we do not need, he says, adding:
– We hope that the expensive plastic trees will be used for several years in a row, that it is not a pure product to use and to throw away. Then the environmental footprint will also be smaller.
– It must be included in the environmental calculation.
At Hageland, it is emphasized that plastic Christmas trees will last for several years.
– Several studies show that the differences are much smaller than you might think. This is set to be something you will have for many years to come, and the plastic itself is not the problem, but the plastic goes astray. When you finally have to get rid of it, you need to deliver it to a recycling station, Krohn says.
He says they have put a high level of quality, with a 12-year warranty on the trees, precisely because it will last a long time.
– Then you are expected to have it for many years, and you have to include it a bit in the environmental calculation, he says.
In total, about 1.4 million actual Christmas trees are sold before Christmas. More than a million of the trees are produced in Norway, while around 200,000 trees were imported from Denmark last year, according to Statistics Norway. There is no general description of how many plastic trees are sold each year, but estimates made last year were around 350,000 trees.
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