Josh Lucas Takes One For The Tree This Holiday Season

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by Michael Parrish DuDell December 5, 2007
Categories: People
Tags: .

Josh Lucas, star of such films as Sweet Home Alabama and Poisdeon, is taking Christmas to the next level: the recycled level.  Lucas recently told OK magazine, “My family has been recycling and been part of this moment since I have been born so it’s in my blood.” Maybe that’s why Josh is taking one for the team this year and ditching the traditional Christmas Tree for an organically recycled plastic one.

This whole Christmas Tree fiasco gives me a headache. On one hand I totally understand that cutting down a tree is a waste of a perfectly good shrub, and even though I dig the smell of a real Christmas Tree, I can’t seem to buy one. On the other hand, it’s common knowledge that most “fake” Christmas Trees are made from Polyvinyl Chloride, which in Latin means: non-biodegradable, horrible for the earth, mutant plant that will eat your children.  Josh might be on to something with his organically recycled tree, but I don’t have his billfold. So, what I’ve done in the past (and this is super dorky, yet kind of charming to the ladies) is to cut off the top of a pineapple and make a baby tree. It stands on its own and provides an extra ounce of holiday cheer. And since I live in a typical NYC apartment it only takes up half of my living room.

Comment back and tell Ecorazzi how you handle the great Christmas Tree conundrum, or as I’ve unofficially labeled it: The Plight Before Christmas.

One additional shout out: Happy Birthday dad. I love you!


Categories: People
Tags: .
  • Jeremy

    Do you happen to know the name of the company that produces these? Thanks!

  • http://AlliesGreenAnswers.com Allie

    Cut Christmas trees are pretty green. They are farmed specifically for the purpose of being cut down, so buying a live tree doesn’t contribute to deforestation. And while they are growing, the trees are doing their thing with CO2. They can be mulched after the holiday season and the mulch can be reused. The concerns with cut trees are pesticide use and energy expended in transport, so if you can find a local farm that doesn’t use pesticides, you’re good to go.

    If you have a place to plant it and the patience to care for it properly, a live tree is probably the greenest option.

    An antique aluminum tree is also a good green (and kitschy) option.

    I’m not sure I understand what organically recycled means, but like you said, trees made from PVC are not good.

  • mars

    I’ve just decorated my fake ficus tree. no s*!t.
    it’s beautiful.

  • http://www.enlocale.com JJ

    On Martha’s Vineyard, off Massachusetts, after Christmas the trees are gathered and used to line the beaches during the winter to help prevent erosion.
    Another creative green solution to the tree disposal problem!

  • parrish

    Thanks everyone for all your great comments! Maybe I won’t feel so bad about getting a tree this year. Oh and hey Mars, you know what they say about ficus don’t you? (Yeah, I don’t either). Anyway, I don’t know what company produces those trees and in fact Josh didn’t seem to either. He just said that’s what was labeled on the box. I even did a little google search action and couldn’t seem to find anything. Anyone have Josh Lucas’ number? We could call him up and find out. It sounds to me like a natural tree from an environmentally responsible farm is the way to go this holiday season…or of course my baby pineapple tree idea.

  • http://www.esmereldasays.com Esmerelda

    I think that you should definitely look for an alternative solution when replacing a fake tree. I like the idea of buying a real tree, roots and all and then planting it after you’re finished with it, if that’s an option for you.
    However, if all the millions of people who have perfectly good fake trees already did a wholesale dump into the landfills just so they could buy and organic fake tree that would be a problem.
    I guess my first question would be, can a fake tree be recycled? If so, how much energy would it take to recycle it?
    I say if you’ve got one use it until it’s not good anymore then look into an eco friendly tree then next go around.

  • Sarah

    I know this won’t work for everyone, but each year when I was a kid we would put the Christmas tree out in the yard near our bird feeders. The birds love the extra places to hide and stay warm. It stays green for quite awhile and doesn’t usually start getting dried out until Spring when we’ll Mulch it up.

  • http://www.ecorazzi.com rebecca

    I grew up with real trees and always loved them. About 5 years ago we got a fake tree, and frankly, I assumed I was doing the environment a favor. I actually love my little fake tree. I can have it be 7 feet tall if I have space, or if not, leave off a portion and it’ll just be 5 feet. It’s lasted great so far.

    Regarding the real trees, having an uncle that is a Christmas tree farmer, I know that this is also like a crop, and the trees are planted for this very purpose…and of course, new trees will be planted where old ones used to be. The sticky part for me is that living in Miami, these trees are coming from FAR FAR away. Something I don’t hear talked about much. Emissions, gasoline/diesel, etc.

    And no, I don’t want to decorate a palm tree instead. It’s no where near the same! So I guess I’ll keep going with the fakey until it dies…but I think she’ll last a good while. Happy Holidays!

  • claudia marrapodi

    josh lucas you’re great! the christmas tree is the symbol of life and no tree should be cut down for christmas – because christmas itself is the symbol of life! there are three possibilities to have a christmas tree:

    1. as josh lucas does!
    2. a real one together with all it’s roots and plant it after outside
    3. branches cut from a tree

    so no tree has to be cut for christmas because christmas is the symbol of christ’s birth and also people should stop to slaughter animals for christmas – this is as wrong and perverted as a fist on an eye!

  • rachael

    My mom would always have a potted Norfolk pine in the living room, and every year, we decorated that with cute little miniature bulbs.

    I have carried on that tradition with my own Norfolk pine in the corner of the living room. It looks great all year, and quite festive around the holidays.

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  • stephanie

    I prefer the conveinence of a fake tree, but also have a problem with the enviornmental concerns, I saved our fake tree from a local hospitol. They were going to throw it out and a buy a new one so I got it for free. I figured its one less tree in the landfill.

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