REAL TREES are GREEN!
A look at why REAL Christmas Trees are more Environmentally friendly
than Fake Trees.
Some folks have a hard time accepting the idea that cutting a 
REAL CHRISTMAS TREE can somehow be helpful to the environment. The following three facts, discussed in more detail later, explain it.
1. REAL CHRISTMAS TREES are renewable and grown on sustainable farms. That means, there are always new ones being planted to maintain a consistent crop. No one cuts from pristine, virgin forests anymore.
2. REAL CHRISTMAS TREES provide many environmental benefits not just while they're growing but also after they leave your house.
3. The alternative Fake tree hurts the environment in numerous ways. While doing research for this website, we honestly became alarmed by the hazardous nature of PVC, the plastic material used to manufacture many fake trees. Not only does the production of these plastics release carcinogens into the air, but, as with other under-regulated made-in-China plastic products, fake Christmas trees can potentially contain lead.
Lest you think we are overstating the risk, please click on the links below about the dangers of lead in PVC. Also, learn why Dr. Patrick Moore, an environmental leader and former President of Greenpeace says, "Whether you choose a cut or growing tree to enjoy this holiday season, I believe that a sensible environmentalist would opt for renewable over non-renewable every time."
1. Christmas trees are renewable and grown on sustainable farms.
- REAL Christmas Trees are grown on farms just like any other crop. To ensure a constant supply, Christmas Tree growers plant one to three new, naturally produced seedlings for every tree they harvest.
- Since REAL CHRISTMAS TREES grow on sustainable farms & reproduce naturally, there is no environmental harm in cutting them down. On the contrary, there is actual benefit! We like to explain this with a paradox: "If you didn't cut them, the trees wouldn't be here." Think about it. If no one cut our Christmas Trees, our Christmas Tree Farm would not be here. There would be no demand for them, so we would not be growing them. What would be here? Well, with the city encroaching more & more on rural America, our farm could be the site of a condensed subdivision, industry, a mall, or - perish the thought - a Fake Tree Factory. Contrast our field of Real Christmas Trees with its oxygen-
producing trees to a Fake Christmas Tree Factory with its exhaust and paved parking and you begin to get an idea of which product is more environmentally friendly.
Which of the above would you rather have as a neighbor?
2. REAL CHRISTMAS TREES provide many environmental benefits, not just while they're growing, but also after they leave your house.
- While they're growing, REAL CHRISTMAS TREES support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. (If you are concerned about Global Warming, this should be the deciding factor for you. Especially when contrasted to the carbon-producing process used in manufacturing fake trees.)
- Every acre of Real Christmas Trees grown produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people.
- Real Christmas Trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife. Often, Christmas Trees are grown on soil that doesn't support other crops.
- Real Christmas Tree farms create scenic green belts.
- Real Christmas Trees are recyclable. After the Holiday Season, Real Christmas Trees can be chipped into mulch, used for bird feeders, brush piles for wildlife habitat, beach & sand dune stabilization, and fish beds. Most fake trees eventually wind up in landfills.
Don't just take our word for it - see what other environmental experts have to say on the subject...
- The former president of Greenpeace, Dr. Patrick Moore, endorses Real Christmas Trees as the best environmental option for consumers.
- "No on Vinyl and that's Final!" The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in most artificial trees is boycotted by environmental groups. Read about the dangers of PVC.
- The American Forests organization also supports the growth and use of Real Christmas Trees for many reasons.
- For environmental reasons, Yoga Journal recommends a live or cut Christmas Tree over the use of an artificial tree.
3. FAKE Christmas Trees hurt the environment in numerous ways.
- 85% of Fake Christmas trees are imported from China. Want to know what conditions in a Chinese Fake Christmas Tree Factory are like? Check out this Washington Post article:
http://www.christmastree.org/washingtonpost.cfm
- Most Fake Christmas trees are made of metals and plastics, many of which can be toxic. The plastic material, typically PVC, can be a potential source of hazardous lead. And with China's poor regulatory controls highlighted in the news lately, there is documented reason to be concerned.
Read a warning about them from the Children's Health Environmental Coalition: http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/education/articles-detail.asp?Main_ID=700
Learn more about lead in Fake trees:
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/holidays/1834459/detail.html
The Center for Health, Environment & Justice's list of household products containing PVC: http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/pvcproducts.htm
- Fake Christmas trees are not recyclable. Artificial Christmas trees are a petroleum-based product. The average family uses a fake tree for only six to nine years before throwing it away, where it will remain in a landfill for centuries after disposal.
- Fake Christmas trees are not fireproof. Christmas trees don't catch on fire very often, but when they do, it's usually because of faulty lights. Fake Christmas trees are just as susceptible to this as REAL CHRISTMAS TREES, but when Fake trees combust, they can emit toxins into the air.
See Greenpeace's take on this:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/how-to-find-and-avoid-toxic-vi
The manufacturing process of Fake trees releases toxins into the air: http://www.checnet.org/HealtheHouse/education/articles-detail.asp?Main_ID=185
REAL Vs. Fake
Click here for a simple, straight-forward "apples to "apples" comparison.
Alternatives to Real & Fake Christmas trees. Obviously, being Christmas Tree farmers, we don't think there is a need for alternatives to REAL CHRISTMAS TREES. As we've proven, they are GOOD for the environment. Still, there are two main alternatives that Americans often choose during the holiday season.
One is displaying a potted Christmas Tree that can be replanted after the season. Hollow Creek Tree Farm offers a selection of live trees, but there are things to consider before going this route. First, do you have room in your yard to plant a tree that could be rather large when it matures? And second, potted trees sometimes have difficulty acclimating themselves to the outdoors once they've been in the house for a few weeks. They take plenty of care and water.
The other alternative that nearly 1/4 of Americans choose is to not display a tree at all. Once kids grow up and start their own lives, the parents often choose not to display a tree because the kids are not at home anymore or because they travel during the holidays. This dynamic is happening to the largest segment of society, the "Baby Boomers." As their kids ("Echo Boomers," or "Generation Y") start their own families, family traditions such as picking out the family Christmas tree should see a re-emergence. If not, there will eventually be fewer Christmas tree farms around and, thus, fewer trees.
In closing, if you are one of the millions of people who appreciate the natural beauty and warmth of a REAL CHRISTMAS TREE as part of a traditionally beautiful season, be assured that using a REAL Christmas tree is also being environmentally responsible.
Go GREEN! Buy a REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!
