ACTA Key Messages Story Board - Ho! Ho! Ho!Lifecycler_ACTA.html
“Tree Miles” Matter
The last primary factor to consider is tree miles. How far you go to purchase a tree, and how many tree miles your tree experiences dictates its environmental preferability. The Study found that an artificial tree travels by truck, boat and personal automobile, where live cut trees travel only by truck and personal automobile. The transportation miles between an artificial tree and live cut tree are front loaded against the artificial tree. For each additional year you keep an artificial tree, those tree miles become more even. Again, nine years is the point of an environmental payback between the artificial tree and the live cut tree. The distance traveled to purchase either tree can impact the environmental preferability of the selection. The shorter distance traveled the better. Artificial Trees traveled 81 miles from Factory to Harbor, 7471 miles from China to the US by boat, 15.5 miles from Harbor to Storage, 881 Miles to the wholesaler, 20 miles for to retailer and 5 Miles round trip home. 8,473 miles. Live Cut Trees travel 75 miles from Seen to transplant bed, 17 miles from Nursery to Farm, 130 miles from farm to retailer, 5 miles round trip to home, and an average of 20 miles to be disposed of. 247 total miles. Note: Not each mile has the same emissions factor. Boat travel is less carbon intensive than automobile or truck travel. Lifecycler_ACTA.html