I thought that the presentation I listened to from The Michigan Christmas Tree Association was really interesting… here are a few more interesting points regarding fake Christmas trees.
Things You Might Not Know About Fake Trees
Where do they come from?
Most fake trees (85%) in the U.S. are imported from China. Almost 10 Million fake trees were sold worldwide in 2003.
What are fake trees made of?
Most artificial Christmas trees are made of metals and plastics. The plastic material, typically PVC, can be a potential source of hazardous lead. Read a warning about them from the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition.
Why do some artificial trees carry a warning label?
The potential for lead poisoning is great enough that fake trees made in China are required by California Prop 65 to have a warning label.
Who decided to make a fake Christmas tree?
Actually fake trees were invented by a company who made toilet bowl brushes, the Addis Brush Company. Regardless of how far the technology has come, it’s still interesting to know the first fake Christmas trees were really just big green toilet bowl brushes.
Are fake trees better for the environment?
As mentioned before, most artificial trees are manufactured in China and contain PVC (polyvinyl chloride). In fact, artifical Christmas Trees were recently added to the Center for Health, Environment & Justice’s list of household products containing PVC.
According to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, the manufacture of PVC creates and disperses dioxins, which include the most toxic man-made chemical known. Released into air or water, dioxins enter the food chain, where they accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and humans, a potential risk for causing cancer, damaging immune functions and impairing children’s development.
This issue is especially concerning due to China’s weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Delta Farm Press recently addressed China’s environmental crisis in this article.
by Lindsey | Event Planner
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