- Real Christmas trees are good for the environment. One acre of Christmas trees can absorb more than 11,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually and provide enough oxygen for 18 people every day. Plus, since real trees are an all-natural product, they are biodegradable. Artificial trees remain in landfills for years.
- Real Christmas trees are a renewable resource. Farmers replant an average of 1-3 trees for every Christmas tree they harvest. Artificial trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-renewable, petroleum-based plastic.
- Real Christmas trees help support the local economy. The live Christmas tree industry employs over 100,000 Americans. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 23% of live Christmas trees are purchased directly from farms, and 62% are purchased from tree lots. Even though some tree lots might get their trees from farms in other states, the distance traveled is still less than that for artificial trees, 85% of which are produced in China.
- Don't Christmas tree growers use fertilizers and pesticides? Christmas trees are an agricultural product, and as such, many growers do use fertilizers and pesticides to help ensure a superior product.
- Don't real Christmas trees contain molds and other allergens? Some people are allergic to real Christmas trees. On the other hand, lead and other additives used by manufacturers to make artificial tree needles more flexible have been linked to liver, kidney, neurological, and reproductive system damage in laboratory experiments on animals. The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition even warned that artificial trees "may shed lead-laced dust, which may cover branches or shower gifts and the floor below the tree."
- Can't real Christmas trees be a fire hazard? Of the over 1.3 million home fires in 2010, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that 240 (or 0.018%) involved real Christmas trees, and all of these fires started with an external ignition source (i.e., the trees did not spontaneously combust). To further lower your risk of Christmas tree-based fire, be sure to keep your tree away from major heat sources (fireplaces, heating registers, candles, etc.), turn your lights off when you go to bed, and be sure to keep your tree well-watered. (If you're in need of a laugh, please check out this video!)
Sources
- www.christmas-tree.com/real/realchristmastrees.html
- www.christmastree.org (official site of the National Christmas Tree Association)
- www.earth911.com/news/2010/11/29/real-vs-artificial-christmas-trees
- www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=296&URL=Safety%20Information/For%20consumers/Holidays/Christmas%20tree%20fires
- www.urbanext.illinois.edu/trees/facts.cfm