Real vs. Fake Trees
We all know nothing can match the beauty of a real North Carolina Fraser Fir in your home at Christmas time, but what real advantages are there in getting a real Christmas tree over a fake one? Most people don’t realize that about 85% of fake trees in the US are imported from China. The Washington Post released an article in 2003 describing how fake Christmas trees are made by immigrant workers in China who make about $100 a month and work in very poor conditions. The materials these trees are made of typically consist of PVC, which can be a potential source of hazardous lead. The threat is severe enough to warrant some trees to come with labels warning against the dangers of lead poisoning.

One common argument for fake Christmas trees is that many claim to be fire retardant. While these trees may resist the flames for a short amount of time, they are inevitably engulfed in fire and project significant amounts of heat and toxic gasses such as hydrogen

chloride and dioxin.

Real Christmas Trees

• Real Christmas trees are plantation grown on American family farms, making an important economic contribution to many rural communities in the US.

• Real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and harmful “greenhouse” gases and release fresh oxygen into the air. A real Christmas tree has a fragrance beyond compare.

• One acre of mature Christmas trees can provide the daily oxygen requirement for up to 18 people. Young, fast-growing trees like Christmas trees release more oxygen than mature forest trees.

• For every real Christmas tree harvested, another one is planted in its place to ensure a steady supply year after year. Christmas tree fields support turkey, quail, songbirds, rabbits and deer.

• Real Christmas trees are an all-American renewable, recyclable resource. After the holidays, real trees are chipped into biodegradable mulch, which replenishes soil landscapes, parks and schools. Most communities offer recycling programs. Recycled real Christmas trees are also used as wind and water barriers at beaches and river beds to fight sand and soil erosion. They protect our water supplies, and provide refuge for wildlife. When sunk in ponds, they provide excellent refuge and feeding areas for fish.

• Real Christmas trees can be used as a feeding station and winter shelter for songbirds in your yard.

• Some consumers are allergic to dust that accumulates on surfaces of real trees grown outside. You can wash most allergens off by spraying the tree with water before bringing it inside.

• The safest Christmas tree is a fresh, well-watered tree. A real tree has never started a fire. Faulty Christmas lights, candles, and fireplaces can start tree fires.

Fake Christmas Trees

• Fake Christmas trees are made in Korea, Taiwan, or China. Importing artificial trees contributes to the US trade deficit.

• Fake Christmas trees are made from nonrenewable plastics. The manufacture of petroleum-based plastics use up natural resources. Once used, they are gone forever.

• Furthermore, the manufacture of both plastic and metal components in the tree consumes energy and creates pollution.

• The average use of a fake tree is only 6 or 7 years. Eventually, they all go to the landfill as garbage.

• Fake Christmas trees are not biodegradable. The plastics and metals that they contain, including lead, will remain in our landfills for centuries.

• Three Asian wood-boring beetle species have been imported to America on the wooden trunks of fake trees. Undetected, these insects could attack native forest trees and lumber.

• Some consumers have suffered an allergic reaction to materials in their fake tree.

• When a fake Christmas tree catches fire, it releases dangerous toxic fumes into the home.

Please click on the links below for more information::
Activities	NC Fraser Fir	Real vs. Fake