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For a Safer, Healthier Holiday
You’ve likely wondered whether a real or fake Christmas tree is the safest choice. Well, it turns out that the answer is not as simple as “real trees are best” or “fake trees are bad.”
There is a lot to consider but the good news is that knowledge is power and after reading this post, you’ll be better armed in your hunt for a non-toxic Christmas tree and you’ll know how to make whatever tree you have safer.
Growing up, we never had a real Christmas tree in our home. My mom had a severe allergy to real trees, so that option was out. I always dreamed of going to a Christmas tree farm to pick out the perfect tree, but of course, we never did.
When visiting houses with real trees, I noticed that they bothered me, so to this day, I’ve never had a real tree in my home.
Because fake trees didn’t make me feel bad, I thought they were a good healthy choice for me. Sadly, that likely wasn’t the case. Though our Christmas tree wasn’t making me sneeze, it turns out that there were likely other toxic issues to be concerned about.
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Is a Live Tree the Best Non-Toxic Christmas Tree Choice?
You might think that a real tree is the best natural, clean, and healthy living way to go. I mean, natural is always the way to go, right?
Not necessarily. There are potential and very real toxins even in the most pristine of Christmas trees.
Pesticides and Herbicides
Unless you’re buying an organic Christmas tree, a live tree will most certainly have pesticide and herbicide residue. Christmas trees are known to be sprayed with glyphosate and bifenthrin plus multiple other chemicals. Glyphosate is typically thought of as being a problem with wheat, but Christmas trees are victims of this toxic spray as well.
Some of these pesticides even are contaminated with PFAS, a “forever chemical” that’s known for its long-term detrimental effects on humans and the environment.
Mold
Live Christmas trees can harbor mold and as a result, mycotoxins. Christmas trees are typically harvested weeks before they’re sold and sit in containers of water to keep them alive, leading to mold growth.
Studies have shown that the longer the tree is in the home, the more mold spores there are and that they multiply quickly after less than a week.
Dust
There are toxins in rainwater and in the air we breathe, so depending on where your tree grew, it could have all kinds of residue on it from rainwater, car exhaust, and more.
Furthermore, dust is made of particles of all sorts of things including human skin, hair, clothing particles, and more. These things are food for mold, so if you have dust, you also have mold.
In addition, dust mites can cause allergies too. A not-so-fun fact is that it’s the dust mite feces (I know, it’s gross) that people are allergic to, not the mites themselves.
Terpenes
While the American College of Allergy and Immunology says that allergies to Christmas trees are rare, some people are sensitive or allergic to the terpenes in trees. These can cause a reaction when the tree is smelled or touched.
How to Reduce Toxic Exposure from a Real Christmas Tree
- Buy an Organic Tree
- Spray your tree with water before bringing it inside (letting it dry as much as possible first). This will only work in a climate that isn’t very cold unless there’s a sheltered place for drying. Some tree farms offer washing services, which is a great help.
- Use an Air Purifier: Of course, you should have an air purifier regardless, but you for sure want one when you have a life tree in your home. Side note, I am an Austin Air dealer. If you’d like a great discount on one of these purifiers, just comment below or email me at adrienne at whole new mom dot com.
- Clean Your Home: vacuum and dust often when you have a live Christmas tree in your home.
- Limit the time your tree is in your house by buying your tree as late in the season as you can and removing the tree from your home as soon as possible. It’s been shown that mold spore count expands exponentially after the first four to five days. If you’re like us, and stretch your Christmas celebrations out, however, this won’t work well for you.
- Limit physical contact with the tree.
- Wash your hands after touching the tree.
- Spray the tree with HOCl before placing ornaments on it. HOCl is stronger than bleach and addresses mold.
Are Artificial Christmas Trees Safe?
If you’re like me, and you’re allergic to real Christmas trees, then a fake Christmas tree seems to be a great safe choice. Not so fast.
Following are some toxins in artificial Christmas trees that you should be aware of.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Like many consumer products these days, many artificial Christmas trees are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). One would think that PVC is benign, but it’s not, and here’s why.
Toxic Gases
PVC is often treated with plasticizers to make it more flexible. The most common plasticizer is phthalates, which is an artificial fragrance. Phthalates shed or leach from the products they’re used in, either in the form of gases or dust. As endocrine disruptors, they are linked to many health issues including diabetes, reproductive disorders, obesity, liver issues, thyroid issues, and more. They’ve even been linked to autism, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), and other cognitive issues in children.
Lead
PVC can also be treated with lead as a stabilizer. This was more the case in the past, but people tend to buy an artificial tree and keep it for many years, so if you have a fake tree in your home, it likely contains lead.
The lead sheds off the PVC in the form of dust that ends up on the surfaces of your home.
Lead bioaccumulates and is connected with health problems including cardiovascular, reproductive, kidney, brain, and more. Like all toxins, lead exposure is more of a concern for children due to their smaller size and it can even cause permanent damage.
In 2001, it was estimated that about 50 million homes in the U.S. had artificial trees. While this study did conclude that exposure to lead from artificial trees is likely not that high, in some houses, this shedding can lead to toxic exposures.
Flame Retardants
Although PVC is already flame retardant and many trees are now made with PVC, flame retardants are still often used on fake trees. In fact, some companies state that after 2-3 years you should consider reapplying the toxic chemicals to your tree which means even more exposure.
Antimony Trioxide
In addition to PVC, artificial trees are also made out of polyethylene (PE) or a combination of PE and PVC. PE trees are more durable and realistic than PVC trees, but they’re also more expensive.
One concern about PE trees is that the main catalyst for making those chemicals is antimony trioxide. It’s a likely carcinogen and a possible endocrine disruptor.
Furthermore, a lot of antimony is released into the environment when PE is made. Antimony bioaccumulates, and air contaminated with the chemical has been linked to many health issues. In fact, antimony is called a “priority pollutant” by the United States EPA.
Despite the environmental concerns, once a PE tree is in your home, it’s a much better choice than a PVC tree. The reason is that antimony is mainly released much more at higher temperatures (50°C (about 122°F) and above.
PFAS
It’s been said that artificial Christmas trees are sometimes sprayed with chemicals containing PFAS to make them last longer by making them more resistant to heat and light. I haven’t been able to verify this, however.
Dust
Artificial Christmas trees are often stored in attics and garages and they can harbor tons of mold and dust, especially if they’re stored without a container. All those needles harbor tons of dust and they’re hard to clean. Also, if the tree is stored in a warm attic in the dark, mold can fester.
How to Reduce Toxic Exposure from an Artificial Tree
- Buy a Less Toxic Tree: It’s a better choice to purchase a tree with a higher percentage of PE/PET than PVC.
- Outgas: Allow your new artificial tree to outgas outdoors before bringing it inside for the first time. For a new tree – outgas outdoors before setting up.
- Limit physical contact with the tree.
- Wash Hands: Wash your hands after decorating or otherwise touching the tree.
- Purify the Air: Use an air purifier.
- Clean Your Home: Vacuum and dust often to address any toxins that might have been shed in your house.
- Get a Smaller Tree: The smaller the tree, the less toxic it will be. The trees in the above photo are 3 sizes of trees we currently have: large, small, and thin, and then a small tabletop Christmas tree that was a wedding gift. That tree is about as small as it gets, but I still love it!
Where to Buy Non-toxic Artificial Christmas Trees
There are a number of trees with a combination of PVC and PE branches, with most of the mixed PVC/PE trees having at most 65% PE. However, Balsam Hill and IKEA stand above the others by having at least some trees with more than 65% PE.
I’ll check with more companies in the future, but below is some information on these trees.
Of course, this information can change, so it’s best to reach out to make sure the trees still meet these standards.
Balsam Hill
Balsam Hill has a variety of trees with varying amounts of PVC / PE in them.
Their “most realistic” trees have 65 – 100% PE so that’s the way to go if you’d like a tree with the least amount of PVC. Apparently, the following trees are “completely PE”, with the exception of PVC wrap on the inner, lower, and top of the tree trunk for the appearance of fullness, and that part is removable.
The company told me that their trees are coated with antimony trioxide flame retardant, but that shouldn’t be a concern as mentioned above. Apparently, antimony trioxide isn’t a flame retardant in and of itself, so I’m guessing that they use a flame retardant that is enhanced by antimony trioxide.
IKEA
IKEA doesn’t have many trees to choose from, so you’re more likely to get what you’d like at Balsam Hill. Also note that despite IKEA’s claims of their trees being non-toxic, it’s important to read the reviews. Some people report issues that you might find disconcerting.
IKEA claims that the Vinterfint tree is made from PET, but one review states that the tree had a strange smell and that it shed a green color onto hands when it was decorated. (Note that the tree isn’t shown on their site right now, so hopefully, that will be back online in the future so you can see what I’m referencing.)
IKEA does claim that they don’t use flame retardants on their trees and IKEA’s flame retardant policy states that they avoid them whenever possible.
More Sources of Christmas Tree Toxins
Ornaments
You might not think about this but your Christmas tree ornaments can be another big source of toxins. First of all, they can harbor lead, but that cardboard ornament box that you stored in your attic or garage is a problem as well.
Cardboard is a great food source for mold. When you bring that box into your home and take the ornaments out, you’re distributing the spores into your home. Though I’m not a fan of plastic storage in general, in this case, an all-plastic storage container is a much better choice.
Lights
Most Christmas tree lights have lead, but you can find some safe Christmas tree lights.
Traditional Christmas Tree Alternatives
Another option is to have an alternative to a Christmas tree like the following:
- Decorate an Outdoor Tree: We do this a little bit with lights and some giant ornaments either on a tree or a large bush!
- A Different Kind of Potted Tree – having a tree that you know how it was cultivated and treated can be a lot less toxic than what you might be able to find nearby as far as live tree options go.
- Book Tree – search “book Christmas tree” online and you’ll see this interesting option! Just make sure the books aren’t moldy!
- Wooden Tree – you can find ideas for this online too.
My Final Christmas Tree Advice
Whatever you have, or whatever you choose, neither choice is perfect. No tree is going to be completely toxin-free, and neither is everything in your home.
Do your best and enjoy the Christmas season which is much more important than whatever tree you choose. With some simple precautions, you can make your Christmas tree safer and every healthy step you take is a step in the right direction.
More Healthy Christmas Posts
These posts can help you have a truly healthier Holiday season.
Healthy Stocking Stuffers – skip the candy and give the gift of health this year!
Does “Xmas” Take Christ Out of Christmas? – if you’ve been concerned about saying or hearing “Xmas,” this post is for you.
Natural and Healthy Homemade Christmas Gifts – homemade gifts are the best
Healthy Christmas Cookies – Santa approved!
Gluten-free Christmas Cookies – avoiding gluten? This list of cookies is sure to make you smile.
More Research-based Posts About Healthy Living
Is there Paint Thinner In Your Cereal? – scary, but is it true?
Pesticides in Strawberries. What You Need to Know
Does Erythritol Cause Heart Disease? – includes an infographic that explains what’s likely going on with this popular low-carb sweetener
Is Stevia Safe? – rumors about infertility and DNA disruption abound. But what’s true? Find out here.
What kind of Christmas tree do you have?
Does this post make you think about making a change?
