Real Trees

Artificial Trees

Place of Origin

• United Stated & Canada

• 85% from China

Method of Production

• Farming

• Factory

• Planting takes place January - May

• Raw materials sent to factory & assembled into final product

• Estimated 40-45 million trees planted in 2008 in North America

• Product shipped to U.S. then distributed to stores

• estimated 46 million trees growing on farms in U.S.

• Number of factories unknown

• Tree farms support complex eco-systems

• Factories only consume natural resources

Components

• Plant tissue

• Plastics and metal

• 100% biodegradable

• non-biodegradable

PVC Free?

• Yes

• No

Lead Free?

• Yes

• No

Carbon Neutral?

• Yes

• No

• Trees absorb carbon dioxide

• Plastic is a petroleum byproduct

• When decomposting, carbon, nitrogen and other elements are released into the soil

Chemicals?

• No

• Yes

• Scientists have measured cut Christmas trees for chemical residue and not found any significant amount

• PVC itself is a dangerous chemical

• Many different bugs, fungi and parasites attack and kill trees, so farmers may use pesticides to keep consumers' trees healthy and alive until harvest

• Manufacture of PVC creates and disperses dioxins, the most toxic man-made chemical known

• Most pesticides are ground applied

• Released into air and water, dioxins enter the food chain, where they accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and humans, a potential risk for causing cancer, damaging immune functions and imparing children's development

• Herbicides are used to supress, not kill off, weeds to prevent soil erosion

• If someone tells you "there are chemicals on cut Christmas Trees" they are wrong

Disposal

• Recycled

• Landfill

• Used trees can be recycled in a variety of ways

• Fake trees can't be recycled and end up in landfills

• Decomposing trees add nutrients back into the earth

• All of the acumulated fake trees are a burden to the environment indefinitely

Renewable Resource?

• Yes

• No

• New trees planted every year

• Petroleum, used to make plastic, is a non-renewable resource, as are metals

Eco-Friendly?

• Yes

• No