As I walked along Kenyatta Avenue on my way to work, something caught my attention. It was the well-lit and beautifully decorated Christmas trees.

However, as I got close to get a feel of the Christmas trees, they were all plastic trees. Most retail shops along this stretch have the trees on sale for between Sh 3,000 to Sh10,000.

According to Mary Wangari who was purchasing the tree at a supermarket, she was getting the artificial tree because it is easily accessible as opposed to the real tree.

An artificial Christmas tree at the lobby of Tower One building.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“Christmas cannot be a colorful festival without a Christmas tree. Every year, my family and I have been decorating a tree for Christmas. This is my second tree after I used my other tree for three years before it got messed up,” she says.

Read: Festive season: Inside the thriving private car transport business

A wholesome tree has sparkly lights, pretty ribbons, tinsel, and different ornaments all which bring a nostalgic feeling for individuals who have a habit of decorating the tree.

However, as aesthetics become the leading move to purchase artificial trees, environmentalists are sounding an alarm on the increasing use of artificial Christmas trees.

Mtaa Wangu caught up with plastic waste activist, James Wakibia, who has been on the forefront advocating the elimination of single use plastic which contribute to the climate crisis.

Mr. Wakibia says that Christmas trees are a borrowed culture from the west and if not well managed, they will be an environmental nightmare to us in Kenya.

“There is an up surge on the purchases of plastic made Christmas trees since people have more purchasing power and a boost by the need to color homes during Christmas. However, what people are not factoring in is how will they dispose the trees when they are damaged,” he says.

According to him, most of the damaged trees and ornaments end up in landfills which reflect badly on the environment.

Plastic used to make artificial Chrsitmas trees.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“This product cannot be recycled and my advice is that people should do away with them. They are only relevant for a few days yet their environmental impact will be felt for decades. Going back to our old ways of using actual tree branches to create the Christmas tree could be more environmentally friendly,” he says.

Wakibia insisted that there is more to Christmas than a few days of beautification brought by plastic trees.

Related: Meet the Man Behind Ban of Plastics in Kenya

“People should also be more aware of protecting the environment and do away with single use plastics like cups, plates, and straws that are likely to be heavily purchased this festive season,” he concluded.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

Are the artificial Christmas trees posing an Environmental risk?

Author Spotlight

Purity Kinuthia