many years to come. Most artificial trees sold in the UK are now made in Taiwan and China and so have additional energy costs associated with transport. Real trees are carbon neutral, absorbing as much carbon dioxide as they grow as they will emit when burnt or left to decompose. They are also a wildlife habitat and a naturally renewable resource, and generally feel much nicer in your home. They can be planted in your garden after Christmas, and even used again next year. In 2006, six million Christmas trees took pride of place in British homes and offices. Of these only 10% were recycled and fewer than 5% planted to be re-used next year, so... Tree Buying Tips Buy from a small-scale sustainable grower and/or make sure the tree has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, you can go to www.soilassociation.org/christmas for a list of producers. And choose a tree with roots so it can be replanted. If replanting isn?t an option most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes. Contact yours or go to www.letsrecycle.com Be battery wise Families can get through a lot of batteries, particularly at Christmas. Batteries contain toxic chemicals, don't biodegrade and are difficult to recycle. Instead use rechargeable ones or try our new battery wizard , it'll charge even ordinary batteries, or you could try these AA size USB rechargeable batteries . By opening the cap and plugging into a USB connector, you can recharge them pretty much anywhere there's a USB socket. You'll