Christmas Tree Articles
Making an Eco-Friendly Choice in Christmas Trees
Brown's Tree Farm provides you with the easiest way to buy a high quality, fresh, real Christmas tree online. We also take great pride in spreading the word about the benefits of buying a REAL Christmas tree rather than a FAKE Christmas Tree. The content below was provide courtesy of the National Christmas Tree Association.
From hybrid vehicles to water-saving toilets, many companies are trying to capture the interest of the environmentally conscious consumer. The Real Christmas Tree industry has it easy – our product has always been the environmental choice. The question is – do most people know it?
When it comes to Christmas trees, the environmental issue is one where the farm-grown Christmas tree has the upper hand, but it’s up to us to make sure this message is heard and it’s been an uphill battle.
While they’re growing, Real Christmas Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases and emit fresh oxygen. They are grown on farms just like any crop. Christmas tree farmers plant new seedlings every spring to replace those harvested. In 2008, an estimated 45 million new trees were planted by Christmas tree farmers across North America. There are close to a half billion conifer trees growing on Christmas tree farms in the U.S. alone. These trees would not exist if not planted by Christmas tree farmers. Christmas Trees stabilize the soil, protect water supplies and support complex eco-systems. And of course, farm-grown Christmas trees can be recycled, whereas fake trees can not.
What about the fake tree? Isn’t it better for the environment if you use something over and over? Artificial trees are a petroleum-based product manufactured primarily in Chinese factories. The average family uses a fake tree for only six to nine years before throwing it away, where it will remain in a landfill indefinitely. The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in most artificial trees has been boycotted by many environmental groups.
Is the environment really that big a factor in consumers’ decisions? In a national consumer poll, 21% of those respondents who displayed an artificial tree cited environmental concerns as the reason. Even if consumers do not recognize the environment as one of the factors in their decision, it is important that the correct facts are out there.
Does anyone really still believe that Christmas Trees come from forests? Yes, unfortunately. However, those of us in the Real Christmas tree industry have made great strides in recent years in breaking down the myths surrounding Real Christmas trees, but there is still work to be done. Consumers today are farther removed from agriculture than ever before, and it is up to us as an industry to educate them.
From our family to yours, we look forward to being part of your holiday season this year!
Wes Brown
Brown’s Tree Farm
info@atreetoyourdoor.com
www.atreetoyourdoor.com
