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By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director

According to The Nature Conservancy, approximately 10 million artificial Christmas trees are purchased each year in the United States, a vast majority of which are shipped from China. The greenhouse gas emissions from shipping alone are significant as are the emissions created to obtain the materials required to manufacture the trees. Artificial trees are typically made from PVC plastic (#3), which helps to make them more fire-retardant; the issue is that this type of plastic is one of the most harmful for the environment for the following reasons:  

1. PVC (#3) is one of the most difficult types of plastic to recycle, so much so that less than 1% ends up being recycled after use. Therefore, the landfill is the final resting place for nearly all artificial Christmas trees. 

2. Almost all products made from PVC (#3) plastic are made from virgin material that requires extraction of raw materials from the Earth. 

3. PVC (#3) plastic is considered the most toxic form of plastic as it contains a variety of chemicals that can leach out throughout its life cycle. 

4. PVC (#3) never breaks down and remains in the environment indefinitely. 

So, does purchasing a reusable, artificial tree make up for the fact that real trees need to be cut down every year?  

Yes! Purchasing a real Christmas tree supports local landowners and provides them with the income to effectively maintain the health of the forest land.  

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, farmers on average plant 1 to 3 seedlings for every Christmas tree that is purchased and cut down. The result is a healthy forest that produces a greater number of high-quality trees, which results in more carbon dioxide being taken out of the atmosphere. 

Also, because real Christmas trees end up being disposed of in the same landfill as artificial ones, they release their stored carbon into the atmosphere as they decompose. Many organizations will give used Christmas trees a second life as part of a conservation or habitat restoration project. Look for local organizations that are involved in such projects! 

Mercy Tip 

Get a real tree this Christmas. And when the holidays are over, consider donating it to a local organization focused on habitat conservation or restoration. 

By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director

Leaf blowers have become more popular and affordable over the last few decades. Leaf blowers alleviate the physical demands of raking, making them a popular choice for many homeowners and landscapers. Though leaf blowers save much time and effort, they are extremely harmful to the environment (particularly gas-powered blowers) in multiple ways: 

1.     Air Pollution: Gas-powered leaf blowers use a two-stroke engine. In 2017, California’s State Air Resources Board found that one hour of use of the most popular gas-powered leaf blower released as much emissions as driving a new Toyota Camry 1,100 miles (source). They also estimated that total emissions from gas-powered equipment would soon outpace emissions from all cars within the state. This is not only due to increasing popularity, but also because small off-road engines have fewer regulations than automotive engines. 

2.     Destroys Insect & Worm Winter Homes: Brown leaves may appear dead, but they are full of life and provide an indispensable winter habitat in which pollinators, caterpillars, fireflies, worms, ants, beetles, snails, and a host of other organisms live and lay their eggs. The high winds that emanate from a leaf blower decimate this habitat, including both leaves and topsoil. Preserving ground cover will protect myriad organisms, increasing the biodiversity of your yard, which is a very good thing! . 

3.     Noise Pollution: Leaf blowers can produce low-frequency sounds of 100 decibels or more; the low frequency makes the sound especially penetrating. For this reason, Washington, DC, phased out the sale and use of gas-powered leaf blowers with the passing of the Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act of 2018, which took effect on January 1, 2022. 

4.     Tree Health: Leaves provide a natural protective cover for tree roots and release valuable nutrients into the soil. Maintaining a layer of leaves alleviates the need to purchase mulch, increases the health of your trees, and reduces the costs of hiring someone to remove your leaves.  

For more information on the negative impacts of leaf blowers, including a detailed comparison between gas and electric leaf blowers, refer to this article provided by the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Environmental Protection. 

Try to avoid or at least reduce the use of leaf blowers throughout the fall . If you need to remove leaves from your yard, consider investing in an electric leaf blower or doing it the old-fashioned way. Also, instead of disposing of the leaves, consider adding them to your compost pile or using them as natural mulch around your trees and other plants. They can also be very effective at preparing portions of your lawn for future vegetables and native gardens.

Purpose

For this year’s contest we are seeking short, PSA style videos (30 to 90 seconds) that are suitable for sharing on social media platforms such as TikTok or Reels. In an increasingly divided and polarized world, your video should reflect the charism of Mercy and connect to one or more of the Mercy Critical Concerns. Videos could focus on:

Who Can Enter

Any student or group of students, high school age or older, enrolled in Mercy high schools, colleges/universities, or involved in a Mercy-affiliated ministry.

Use this tip-sheet to help you as you begin the process of creating your video.

Format

Read the complete rules

Length: 30 to 90 seconds

Language: English or Spanish

Other Requirements

1. Title. Each video must have a title. The title must be indicated on the submission form. The title does not need to be included in the video itself.

2. Credits. Credits must include the name of those involved in the creation of the video. The credits must also include citations for any images, audio, or text used in the video that is not original. The credits do not need to be included in the video itself, but must be included in the submission form.

The Sisters of Mercy may delete title and credit screens before posting videos on social media.

Entrants are strongly encouraged to use original footage and graphics as much as possible.

Important Note on Rules: In order to honor copyright protections, rules regarding use of images and music were updated for the 2022 contest and remain in effect for 2026. See the complete rules for details.

Deadline

All entries must be received by April 1, 2026.

Prizes

A panel of judges will use these criteria to select the winning video. Individual winners will receive financial awards. The Grand Prize Winner receives $500.

Winning entries may be featured on the Sisters of Mercy Institute web site and social media channels. Winners and their winning institution will be formally announced.

Interested?

If you think you might be interested in entering this contest, fill out this form to receive contest information and updates.

Past Winners

Click here to view all of our past winners.

By Marianne Comfort, member of the Mercy Justice Team

Mercy schools in Jamaica offer inspiration for how educational institutions can adopt environmentally sustainable practices in response to our critical concern for Earth. 

Alpha Primary School, Jessie Primary School, Alpha Academy and the Alpha Vocational Training Centre share one campus in the capital city of Kingston. 

This year 10 clearly marked recycling bins were installed on the property to engender a culture of recycling and sustainable waste management among students and staff.  

Guided by two gardening experts, students from the four schools planted a variety of trees and other plants in a memorial garden that honors sisters who had been instrumental to the schools’ success. Throughout this process, students learned the plants’ features, names, uses and more.  

Older students formed groups in which they designed and planned campaigns to tackle water shortage, waste management, deforestation and other issues.  

Finally, students took turns making personal pledges to engage in actions that mitigate the effects of climate change. 

The schools look forward to creating more opportunities for students and staff to care for the Earth, including through a compost heap now being planned. 

By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director

Dr. Tracey Woodruff from the University of California in San Francisco recently published an article about effective ways to reduce exposure to microplastics.

We have covered the concern of microplastics in previous Green Tips articles, but if you are interested in reading more refer to this article: “Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Human Digestive, Reproductive, and Respiratory Health: A Rapid Systematic Review.”

Some suggestions for reducing your exposure to microplastics include:

• Eat food prepared at home to minimize processed and fast foods. 
• When eating out, look for restaurants that are trying to be more sustainable, especially in the use of non-plastic packaging (e.g., Wendy’s uses customer-facing packaging made from cardboard sourced from sustainably managed forests). 
• Look for condiments that come in glass jars. Minimize your overall consumption of foods packaged in plastic. 
• Pack your own meals when traveling.
• Microwave food in glass instead of plastic containers.
• Minimize the purchasing of frozen vegetables in plastic packaging.  At a minimum, transfer frozen vegetables to a non-plastic container prior to microwaving.
• Avoid purchasing water packaged in single-use bottles.
• Resist the urge to use plastic produce bags when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Cook food in stainless steel or cast-iron instead of nonstick pots and pans.
• Eat as low in the food chain as possible (e.g., fruits and vegetables). Larger animals and fish tend to have higher concentrations of harmful chemicals.
• Dust often and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Microplastics in the air tend to cling to dust, so it is important to remove dust and to use a vacuum that can filter very fine particles from the air.
• Use fragrance-free cleaning and personal care products.

Attempting to follow all of these suggestions can seem like a daunting task.  Try to address one at a time until they eventually become a necessary habit.