Artificial Vs. Natural Christmas Trees-Pros & Cons
If you are like most homeowners, facing the annual trek to pick out a healthy, perfectly shaped, and sized live tree can be daunting, even if it’s fun for the kids!
Lots of busy homeowners have opted for artificial trees. Sprayed with pine scent, you can hardly tell the difference! And, since artificial trees have been around since the 1930s, their popularity is not debatable.
Here are a few pros and cons to consider when making your artificial or natural tree decision:
Fact, most artificial trees come from China. They are made of various metals and PVC [poly-vinyl chloride] and are typically NOT recyclable.
Consider the cost of an artificial tree. Many will cost $200 – $300 or more, while a live tree will be much less.
More than 33,000,000 live trees are sold each year in the USA. Nearly all are recycled in a process known as ‘treecycling’ at over 4,000 recycling locations.
A single farmed tree absorbs over a ton of CO2 in its lifetime. And with over 350,000,000 trees growing in the US at any one time, think about the carbon sequestration! A real environmental benefit by any standard.
Each acre of trees produces enough oxygen [O2] for 18 people.
Industry experts report that the tree industry in the US provides jobs to over 100,000 people year-round. A significant economic benefit.
So, yes, busy Americans will likely continue buying trees of metal and plastic and, because many of us just don’t make time to do what our forefathers did and make tree buying a family event, life will go on as usual. Still, isn’t it nice, once in a while, to stop and ponder the environmental and “feel good” benefits of putting up a live tree at Christmas. Sure, there will be pine needles on the carpet and maybe even a drop or two of sap here and there but, for some, there is just no substitute for the annual experience and smell of a living tree at Christmas!
Click this link to see a typical American tree farm getting ready for the annual harvest.
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