The Reality of Fake Christmas Trees

Decorating a Christmas tree is one of the most enjoyable traditions of the holiday season. On any given branch, there may hang a crystal snowflake, a flying reindeer, or a plastic Santa Claus figurine. Children and adults alike love to watch the stacks of presents and gift bags grow in the shade of red, green, and blue lights. On a picture-perfect Christmas morning, most would agree that the Christmas tree serves as the centerpiece for all celebration and cheer.

The debate is still ongoing, however, when it comes down to whether artificial or real Christmas trees are better for the environment and for your home. In the late 20^th century, artificial Christmas trees rose sharply in popularity because, unlike real Christmas trees, they were cheaper and could be reused the following year. Artificial Christmas trees involve only a one-time purchase with none of the hassle of cleaning up stray needles or disposing of trees once the holiday season is over. But several questions still remain unanswered. Are artificial Christmas trees really more eco-friendly than their counterparts? What are the downsides of having a fake Christmas tree? And which of the two is ultimately most risk-free in the event of holiday fires?

The Downside of Fake Christmas Trees:

Whereas real Christmas trees can be recycled, fake Christmas trees are sent straight to the landfill. Real Christmas trees can decompose naturally and add nutrients to the earth, but the chemicals and materials used to create artificial trees will remain buried in landfills forever, taking up space and limited resources.

The majority of artificial Christmas trees are manufactured in China, where factory workers earn wages as low as $100 per month for weaving green spools of plastic into artificial branches. A Washington Post article published in November 2003 titled “Capitalizing on Christmas” says that most factory workers are farmers hailing from rural provinces who seek to supplement their low income with extra work. One worker, a 35-year-old man named Xia Dechuan, supports a wife and two children on $90 per month. Prior to working in the factory, he was forced to raise his family on an income averaging $500 per year. While some workers view their job as a blessing, the conditions of these factories still leave much to be desired. Machines hiss and boil, while workers are forced to squat on the ground shaping plastic into colorful wreaths and ornaments. Even in such suffocating heat, there is no air conditioning available, and laundry is hung outside using lines of leftover Christmas tree material.

Though the American Christmas Tree Association asserts that artificial trees do not harm the environment and leave a smaller carbon footprint than farm-grown Christmas trees, controversy continues to surround the safety of artificial trees following a number of environmental investigations. In 2005, brown fir longhorned beetles were discovered in the wooden trunks of artificial Christmas trees imported from China. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) instantly issued a nationwide recall of artificial Christmas tree products delivered from Polytree Hong Kong Company Limited.

Because artificial Christmas trees can be reused year after year, millions of households in the United States may still be storing trees that are contaminated with lead. Though China has now outlawed the use of lead as a stabilizer in PVC, these outdated Christmas trees have now reached a point where they are beginning to degrade. In a report issued by Environmental Health Perspectives in 2008, researchers wrote, “About 50 million U.S. households have artificial Christmas trees, of which about 20 million are at least 9 years old, the point at which dangerous lead exposures can occur.”

The Upside of Fake Christmas Trees:

While many households view the tradition of hanging ornaments on a Christmas tree the highlight of their holiday season, others may feel overwhelmed by the amount of time involved in selecting ornaments and stringing lights. Some artificial Christmas trees come with lights, decorations, and branches that can simply be snapped into place. Still other trees, like fiber optic trees, require no decoration at all since the tree emits light on its own.

Artificial Christmas trees do not shed needles, which are a hazard to small children. They can also be easily customized upon purchase, according to size, shape, and color. PVC trees are not considered a fire hazard, while some apartment buildings have already banned live trees due to the little fire resistance they have in the event of a holiday fire. This common belief is refuted by the National Christmas Tree Association, which offers live footage of fake Christmas trees bursting into flames and claims that most of the burning Christmas trees we see on the news today are aided by lighter fluid or gasoline.

Conclusion:

It is impossible to conclude definitively whether artificial trees are really better than live trees. Homeowners must consider for themselves the pros and cons of both by reading reviews and visiting viable websites for more information. They must decide what their priorities are and base their selection on what matters to them individually.