This is an article from the National Christmas Tree Association. The article answers common questions and myths regarding fake Christmas 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. The U.S. Commerce Dept. tracks the Import of Fake Trees

• Most fake trees are made of metals and plastic.

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.

• Lead can sometimes be found in artificial trees. * 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.

Why did the USDA quarantine some artificial trees?

• Some fake trees have a wooden center pole. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture placed a quarantine on fake trees from China, which had a potentially harmful beetle in the center pole.

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 really fireproof?

• Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are the most common causes of holiday fires in residences – these are just as likely to affect artificial trees as Real Trees.

Are fake trees better for the environment?

• As mentioned before, most artificial trees are manufactured in China and contain PVC (polyvinyl chloride). In fact, artificial 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.