Skip to main content
HomeReal vs. Fake
Real_vs_Fake_header.png
Real
Artificial


Origins



  • Real Christmas trees are plantation grown on American family farms, making an important economic contribution to many rural communities in the United States.
  • Fake Christmas trees are made in Korea, Taiwan, or China. Importing artificial trees contributes to the US trade deficit.
Environment Effects


Environment

Effects

  • Real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other harmful "greenhouse" gases and release fresh oxygen into the air.

  • One acre of Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. There are about 500,000 acres of Christmas trees in the United States which collectively provide oxygen for 9 million people daily. 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.

 

  • 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 consume energy and create pollution.

  • 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.

 

Safety During Holiday


Safety

During

Holidays

  • 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.


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


After the Holidays


After the

Holidays

  • Real Christmas trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. After the holidays, Real trees are chipped into biodegradable mulch, which replenishes soil in 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.

 

  • The average use of a Fake Christmas 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.