The Environmental Choice The Real Christmas Tree vs. The Fake Christmas Tree Real Christmas Trees Fake Christmas Trees 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. Real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other harmful "greenhouse" gases and release fresh oxygen into the air. A Real Christmas tree has a fragrance beyond compare. Fake Christmas trees are made from nonrenewable plastics. The manufacture of petroleum-based plastics use up natural resources. Once used, they are gone forever. One acre of Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen requirements 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 the mature forest trees. Furthermore the manufacture of both plastic and metal components in the tree consume energy and create pollution. 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. The average use of a Fake Christmas tree is only 6 or 7 years. Eventually, they all go to landfill as garbage. When planted outside after the Holiday, balled and burlaped Real Christmas Tree temper winds, suppress loud sounds, filter dust, moderate temperature, and dissipate odors. Fake Christmas trees are not biodegradable. The plastics and metals that they contain, including lead, will remain in our landfills for centuries. Real Christmas Trees are an all-American renewable, recyclable resource. After the holidays, Real trees are chipped into biodegradable mulch, which replenishes soil in landscaping, parks, and schools. Most communities offer recycling programs. 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 and lumber. Recycled Real Christmas trees are also used as wind 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. Some consumers have suffered an allergic reaction to materials in their Fake tree. Real Christmas trees can be used as feeding station and winter shelter for songbirds in your yard. When a Fake Christmas tree catches fire, it releases dangerous toxic fumes into the home. Some consumers are allergic to dust that accumulates on surfaces of Real trees grown outside. You can wash allergens off by spraying the tree with water before bringing it inside 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.