Why People Opt for Artificial Christmas Trees

Now that August is almost up, the –ber months are just around the corner. These months usually come by so fast that most people don’t even notice them until it’s already Christmas time. This means that it’s better to prepare for the holiday season sooner rather than later. It’s time to bring out those Christmas decorations and start adorning the house once again. And of course, one of the most important parts of this joyful season is the Christmas tree. This year, instead of going for the traditional evergreen tree, why not opt for an artificial Christmas tree?

The Benefits of Going Artificial

One of the most obvious advantages of opting for an artificial tree is that users won’t need to deal with the hassle of shedding needles. Nor will they have to worry about getting sap all over the furniture or their clothes. Artificial trees don’t really need to be cared for as there’s no need to water them; they will continue to remain beautiful not just during the holiday season but for several years after. Aside from being more environment-friendly in its own right (because of the fact that they are reusable year after year and don’t require natural trees to be cut down), artificial trees are much safer as well.

When natural trees begin drying out, the smallest spark from Christmas lights can very easily cause a fire hazard. Most artificial trees, or at least those that are of good quality, are made from materials that are fire-retardant such as polyvinyl.

Another benefit of choosing an artificial tree is that there are far more options. Artificial trees come in all shapes, sizes, and even color. One could very easily find a tree that will match the color scheme of the living room so as to make it more amenable to the home’s overall look and feel. When it comes to decorating the actual tree, it’s much easier to embellish. In fact, there are even a number of pre-lit trees available in the market that will surely be much more convenient for the users. There is an artificial tree for all types of budgets and tastes so it wouldn’t be difficult at all to find one that will be a perfect fit for one’s own living room.

Although artificial Christmas trees do have a lot of benefits, they also come with their fare share of disadvantages. One of the most glaring criticisms about artificial trees is the potential health hazards that they bring. As mentioned earlier, most artificial trees are made of a material called polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Studies state that this is one of the most naturally harmful substances in the world. Moreover, the actual creation of PVC also produces a number of known carcinogens including ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride, and dioxin. These are other harmful substances that have been known to pollute neighborhoods that are near artificial tree factories. This is above the fact that the workers in these factories incur the most damage with regard to their health.

Other than PVC, artificial trees also contain several other harmful chemicals that are potentially hazardous to the health. Substances such as lead have long been associated with problems concerning the liver, kidney, as well as the reproductive and neurological systems. In fact, there are a lot of health and environmental organizations that condemn the use of artificial trees because of the problems they cause not only with the environment, but with the people who use and are exposed to them as well.

Tree Storage Tips

Another advantage of using natural trees is that they are much easier to store as compared to their artificial counterparts. Actually, they don’t even need storage. After a natural Christmas tree serves its purpose throughout the Holiday season, it gets disposed. Therefore, there’s no need to worry about storing these oversized ornaments. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for artificial trees. After the Christmas season, folks will need to find a large enough space to keep the artificial tree so that it can be reused the following year.

When it comes to storing artificial Christmas trees, one idea would be to put it back inside its original box. Sadly, this is definitely easier to say this than actually doing it. This is why instead of going through all the hassle of trying to put the artificial tree back to its original form, a lot of people choose to just wrap them in sheets or plastic. Although this may be a viable alternative, its effectiveness only goes as far as the tree’s construction and design. For artificial trees that disassemble, the best way to go about this would be to individually wrap each removable branch to ensure that they are not damaged by dust or anything else.

However, the best option will be to make use of a plastic bag or bin that is specially designed for the purpose of storing artificial trees. There are a lot of these special bags available in the market so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one. In fact, some trees even come with their own storage bag as part of the box set.