Tree-co

Real Christmas Trees

Artificial Christmas Trees

Real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other harmful “greenhouse” gases and they release fresh oxygen into the air. Artificial Christmas trees are made from nonrenewable plastics. The manufacture of petroleum-based plastics use up natural resources.
One acre of Christmas trees provides 18 people with their daily oxygen requirement. There are approximately 500,000 acres of Christmas trees in the United States which collectively provide oxygen for 9 million people every day. Christmas trees are young, and fast-growing trees, and they release more oxygen than mature forest trees. The manufacture of plastic and metal components in Artificial Christmas trees consume energy and create pollution.
For every Real Christmas tree harvested, several are planted in its place. Christmas tree fields support turkey, quail, rabbits, deer and other wildlife. The average Artificial Christmas tree is used for only 6 or 7 years. Eventually, they all end up in a landfill as garbage.
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. Artificial Christmas trees are not biodegradable. The plastics and metals they contain, sometimes including lead, remain in landfills for centuries.
Recycled Real Christmas trees are 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, recycled Real Christmas trees provide excellent refuge and feeding areas for fish. Three Asian wood-boring beetle species have been imported to America on the wooden trunks of Artificial trees. Undetected, these insects could attack native forest trees and lumber.
Real Christmas trees are plantation grown on American family farms, making impactful economic contributions to rural communities throughout the United States. Artificial Christmas trees are made overseas. Shipping them halfway across the globe consumes nonrenewable resources and contributes “greenhouse” gases into the environment. Additionally, importing them contributes to the US trade deficit.