by Sarah Fazio
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- As an alternative to felled foliage, some West Coast consumers are renting live, potted Christmas trees. The service started in Portland, OR, by the aptly named Original Living Christmas Tree Co. Eighty bucks brings a tree home with delivery and pick-up via Zipcars (LATimesBlogs.LATimes.com 11.30.09).
- Last year we told you about the city of San Francisco’s partnership with nonprofit Friends of the Urban Forest, offering first-come residents potted trees at City Hall. No evergreens with this program — the $95 rental is for nontraditionals like Magnolias and Strawberry Trees.
- For $89-110, Adopt a Christmas Tree in San Diego has singing and dancing elves deliver Pine or Cedar trees, which are later donated to families whose homes have been damaged by fires.
- Fast-furniture monolith Ikea hosts a program for Seattle residents to rent a Douglas Fir for $20. When the tree is returned to the store (to be mulched), customers are given a $10 Ikea gift certificate.
- Founded this year for L.A.-area residents, the Living Christmas Co. offers 5 potted varieties ranging from 2- to 8-feet tall. For an extra-sustainable spin, there’s an adoption option for the same tree to be delivered each Christmas. Bar codes tag the chosen tree, and families watch it grow over the years.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Living Christmas trees offer a double-green bonus: the trees go cradle to cradle (or in this case, soil to soil) without the oft-paid premium price for sustainable goods.
- Aluminum trees have fallen out of fashion with dark greens who are savvy to the source and have opted out of non-recyclable materials made in China.
RESOURCES
- Adopt A Christmas Tree in San Diego, CA
- Friends of the Urban Forest for San Francisco residents
- Ikea Seattle
- The Living Christmas Co. in the Los Angeles area
- The Original Living Christmas Tree Co. in Portland, OR
