Real New York Christmas trees stimulate local economies and give back to communities:
- Real New York Christmas trees, much like any other crop, are grown on family-owned and operated farms.
- The money paid to local farms is distributed among local businesses as farmers continue to purchase supplies and equipment locally.
- During the busy winter season, local farmers hire additional employees, once again giving back to the community.
- New York farmers produce 295,200 Christmas trees annually, generating direct tree sales of $13.8 million.
- Artificial trees are manufactured overseas in China from cheap and dangerous materials and only profit the foreign companies doing the manufacturing.
Real New York Christmas trees clean the air and reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere:
- One acre of Real New York Christmas trees removes over 500 pounds of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere.
- Real New York Christmas tree growers remove 2.125 tons of carbon dioxide every year.
- The Real Christmas trees grown by New York State farmers produce 5,740 tons of oxygen, which equates to the same amount of carbon dioxide produced by the average car in two and a half months!
- Real New York Christmas trees remove excess dust and pollen from the air.
- Cultivation of Real New York Christmas trees is encouraged as older trees do not produce as much oxygen as younger trees.
- Artificial trees contain harmful chemicals, like dioxins, that accumulate in the fatty tissue of all living organisms and have been shown to cause cancer, damage immune system functions, and even impair the development of young children.
- The overseas factories that manufacture artificial trees use fossil fuels that create nondegradable waste and continue to accelerate air and water pollution.
Real New York Christmas trees can be recycled and deforested in an environmentally conscious way or serve as a safe habitat for the local wildlife:
- Real New York Christmas trees can be easily recycled by being converted into mulch!
- Real New York Christmas trees can serve an alternative purpose as a safe habitat for local wildlife like foxes, bunnies, and birds.
- For every one Real New York Christmas tree harvested, two to three seedlings are planted, meaning mass cultivation of trees poses no serious threat to the environment.
- Real New York Christmas trees are 100% biodegradable, meaning they will deteriorate safely back into the Earth.
- Real New York Christmas trees can be used as bird feeders, fish feeders, and even as paths for hiking trails.
- After the holidays, the remains of a Real New York Christmas tree can be used as a source of fuel for heating homes as well as proper fertilizer for growing more trees!
- Artificial trees will not degrade naturally; instead they will remain in a landfill for up to 1000 years as harmful waste.
Real trees are safer than artificial trees:
- It is a common misconception that real trees are especially prone to fires and can pose a threat to homes, but the reality is that both real and artificial trees stand at the same rate of hazard at a 0.001% chance.
- The rare accidents that do occur have been caused by lamps, lighting, or a close proximity to an open flame, according to the NFPA, so as long as the trees are placed properly and safely, they cannot possibly combust alone!
- Artificial trees are prone to combustion as the dust that accumulates on them after continuous use is highly flammable.
- As pre-lit trees are used year after year, the wiring begins to break apart, increasing the risk for fire hazards. These pre-lit trees also contain dangerous metals and chemicals like mercury, cadmium, chromium, lead, and arsenic.
- China manufactures 85% of all artificial trees, and the raw materials used are byproducts of petroleum, a nonrenewable resource, known as PVC.
