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. Here at Severt’s, we planted 80,000 new trees this year. 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.

For more information Go to www.realchristmastrees.org or www.severtstreefarm.com to learn more.

NOTE: reprinted with permission from American Christmas Tree Journal