Real VS Fake Christmas Trees

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Making An Eco-Friendly Choice: The Environmental Debate Settled

Each holiday season, there are news articles, web sites and commentators who debate whether it is better for the environment to use an artificial Christmas tree or a natural Christmas tree. This can often be confusing to consumers who want to make an eco-friendly choice, but can’t find a simple, straight-forward “apples to apples” comparison.

Real Trees:

  • Originate from US and Canada

    • Fake Tree:

  • 85% manufactured in China

    • Methods of Production

    Real Trees

    Real trees are farmed for production at tree farms. New trees are planted every January thru May. An estimated 40-45 million trees planted in 2008 in North America alone, not to mention the numbers planted the years proceeding. Right now there are an estimated 446 million trees growing on farms across the United States. These tree farms not only provide Christimas trees to customers every year, but they support complex eco-systems as well!


    Fake Trees

    Fake trees are assembled in a factory where materials are shipped in and then assembled into a final product. The final product is then shipped in and sold at local stores across the United States. The factories where the artificial trees are made consume natural resources to make the trees in a number of factories that are unknown.


    Components of Real vs Fake Christmas Trees

    Real Christmas trees are completely made up of natural fibers and plant tissue which are 100% biodegradable. Fake trees on the other hand area made up of plastics and metals which are not biodegradable.


    PVC Free?

    Real trees are PVC free...Can we say that about fake trees? No we cannot...the are NOT PVC free.


    Lead Free?

    The next question to ask yourself is are these trees lead free? Well, if you choose your real natural Christmas tree - Yes, these trees are LEAD FREE! However, if you choose the fake tree, then regretfully we must say these trees are NOT LEAD FREE!


    Carbon Neutral?

    This leads us into the next fact...Real trees are Carbon Neutral and absorb carbon dioxide which is good for the environment! When real trees decompose carbon, nitrogen and other elements are released into the soil. A natural process of decomposition in nature. A fake tree, on the other hand, is Not Carbon Neutral and due to their chemical makeup, are a by product of petroleum.