I'm an Oregonian, that means there better be a life or death situation for me to EVER own a fake Christmas tree.
I can almost respect the pros of a fake Christmas tree: No needles, more cost effective, flame resistant, put it up when you want and put it away whenever too, plus the potential off hassle-free set up...potential being the key word here (I've NEVER met somebody who loves putting up their fake tree).
However, the effect these want-to-be trees have on the environment is heart wrenching:
In a nutshell here's what happens when you support Fake Christmas Trees:
1. Many of today's artificial trees are manufactured with metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-biodegradable, petroleum-derived plastic. Some of the old ones even have lead in them. p.s. Petroleum is a non-renewable resource. Oh and get this:
A single farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 throughout its lifetime. With more than 350 million real Christmas tress growing in U.S. tree farms alone, you can imagine the yearly amount of carbon sequestering associated with the trees. Additionally, each acre of trees produces enough oxygen for the daily needs of 18 people.
2. Fake Trees are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, they will sit in a landfill for centuries after disposal. On the other hand, 1 to 3 trees are planted in the place of each live tree cut down.
3. According to Earth911.com, approximately 85 percent of artificial trees sold in the U.S. are imported from China. Whereas, today's Christmas tree industry employs more than 100,000 Americans.
4. On average fake Christmas trees last approximately 6 years before needing replacement. Hello landfill, good-bye $100-$1500 tree.
Sure there are pros and cons to each side, but if you ask me a recyclable resource that helps me breath (and smells GREAT) is a much better choice at $25-$100 a year. For crying out loud, you're gonna sweep your floor with or without pine needles anyway!
I've read several articles throughout the years, but to have some sort of reference here ya go:
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