The real-versus-fake Christmas tree debate has raged for years. Fresh trees smell great but can also be messy; artificial trees are less of a hassle but also need year-round storage space. But there’s another, bigger consideration: Which type of tree is the more sustainable option? To get to the core of the issue, we spoke with Megan Quinn at the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Lienna Hoeg, Christmas tree specialist at Perennia in Nova Scotia. “Reusing the same artificial Christmas tree year after year sounds more sustainable,” Quinn says. “But it’s important to consider the climate impact of manufacturing and shipping plastic trees around the world.” …“Most fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride, which is one of the worst plastics we can produce,” Hoeg says. …“Artificial trees are made with plastic and metal and you can’t recycle them,” Hoeg notes.