From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

Well, Christmas Day has come and gone.  Here’s hoping that you gave, and received all the gifts you wanted, that you spent quality time with your friends and family, and last but certainly not least, that you did your best to make this the Greenest Christmas yet.

Now it’s the Day AFTER Christmas, which technically is the busiest shopping day as far as “returns” go.  That makes me remember a very important, very timely message I want to get across to all of you…Do not forget to recycle your Christmas Tree!  That’s right, that beautiful evergreen sitting in your living room can be recycled and turned into a very productive, very efficient means of fertilizing your lawn, helping restore fish habitats, helping sand dunes, and you know, probably a million other ideas.  If you’re not sure, check out this site that will help you find a Christmas Tree Recycling Center near you!

Here are some Christmas Tree Facts you might not have known:

“# There are approximately 30-35 million real Christmas trees sold in North America every year.
# Approximately 175,000 real Christmas trees are sold via e-commerce or catalog and shipped mail-order.
# North-American real Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. Eighty-five percent of artificial trees are manufactured in China.
# Real Christmas trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics.
# For every real Christmas tree harvested, up to three seedlings are planted in its place the following spring.
# There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
# There are about 21,000 Christmas Tree growers in North America, and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry.
# It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (six feet), but the average growing time is seven years.
# The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington.
# The top selling Christmas trees are: balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and white pine.“

Image by wallyg via Flickr