| PLACE OF ORIGIN |
UNITED STATES & CANADA |
85% FROM CHINA |
| METHOD OF PRODUCTION |
FARMING |
FACTORY |
| PLANTING TAKES PLACE JAN-MAY |
RAW MATERIALS SENT TO FACTORY & ASSEMBLED INTO FINAL PRODUCT |
| ESTIMATED 40-45 MILLION TREES PLANTED IN 2008 IN NORTH AMERICA |
PRODUCT IS SHIPPED TO U.S. AND CANADA THEN DISTRIBUTED TO STORES |
| ESTIMATED 446 MILLION TREES GROWING ON FARMS IN U.S. AND CANADA. |
NUMBER OF FACTORIES UNKNOWN |
| TREE FARMS SUPPORT COMPLEX ECO-SYSTEMS |
FACTORIES ONLY CONSUME NATURAL RESOURCES |
| COMPONENTS |
PLANT TISSUE |
PLASTICS AND METALS |
| 100% BIODEGRADABLE |
NON-BIODEGRADABLE |
| PVC FREE ? |
YES |
NO |
| LEAD FREE ? |
YES |
NO (LEAD IS USED IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING PVC PLASTIC) |
| CARBON NEUTRAL? |
YES |
NO |
| TREES ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDE |
PLASTIC IS A PETROLEUM BY PRODUCT |
| WHEN DECOMPOSING, CARBON, NITROGEN AND OTHER ELEMENTS ARE RELEASED INTO SOIL |
|
| CHEMICALS ? |
NO |
YES |
| SCIENTISTS HAVE MEASURED CUT CHRISTMAS TREES FOR CHEMICAL RESIDUE AND NOT FOUND ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS |
PVC ITSELF IS A DANGEROUS CHEMICAL |
| MANY DIFFERENT BUGS, FUNGI AND PARASITES CAN ATTACK AND KILL TREES, SO FARMERS MAY USE PESTICIDES TO KEEP CONSUMERS\' TREES HEALTHY AND ALIVE UNTIL HARVEST |
MANUFACTURE OF PVC CREATES AND DISPERSES DIOXINS, THE MOST TOXIC MAN-MADE CHEMICAL KNOWN |
| MOST PESTICIDES ARE GROUND APPLIED |
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 |
| HERBICIDES ARE USED TO SUPPRESS, NOT KILL OFF, WEEDS TO PREVENT SOIL EROSION |
|
| IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU "THERE ARE CHEMICALS ON CUT CHRISTMAS TREES" THEY ARE WRONG |
| DISPOSAL |
RECYCLED |
LANDFILL |
| USED TREES CAN BE RECYCLED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS |
FAKE TREES CAN\'T BE RECYCLED AND END UP IN LANDFILLS |
| DECOMPOSING TREES ADD NUTRIENTS BACK INTO THE EARTH |
ALL OF THE ACCUMULATED FAKE TREES ARE A BURDEN TO THE ENVIRONMENT INDEFINITELY |
| RENEWABLE RESOURCE ? |
YES |
NO |
| NEW TREES ARE PLANTED EVERY YEAR |
PETROLEUM, USED TO MAKE PLASTIC, IS A NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCE, AS ARE METALS |
| ECO-FRIENDLY ? |
YES |
NO |
| SOURCE : NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION |
|
