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Is it better to buy a real tree you’ll use once or a fake tree you can re-use for years? It turns out, the reusable one might be worse for the environment.Fake trees are often made of toxic, non-recyclable materials and will end up in landfills once they’re tossed. What’s more, the vast majority are imported from China, meaning they have a major carbon footprint from shipping.If you get a real tree, make sure you buy local and dispose of it correctly: Experts recommend replanting or recycling it. If you’re lucky enough to live in an eco-friendly city like San Francisco , you can just leave it by the street and it will get recycled. In New York City, you can bring it to select city parks to get it recycled into mulch to nourish other plants.