ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - December is here, and many families are getting ready to put up the Christmas tree. Before it goes in the stand, there’s the yearly question: real or artificial? Now, a new consideration has been added to the debate: which is better for the environment?

For some, the tradition of a real tree is unbeatable. Wayne Britts says he prefers the real thing. “I like the real trees. I’m not fake for Christmas, so I really appreciate the real trees,” he said.

Others see benefits in both. Carolyn Schneider likes the smell of a real tree but appreciates the low maintenance of an artificial one. “I like both ... the real ones smell wonderful, but they fall all over the house and the artificial ones don’t,” she said.

Experts at Virginia Tech are looking at the environmental

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