What You Might Not Have Known About Your Artificial Christmas Tree
Today’s artificial Christmas tree has been many years in development. There can be no denying the fact that is has a lengthy history which predates the surge in popularity that it experienced in the late part of the last century.
The very first variations of the artificial Christmas tree were made before plastic was a regularly used material like it is today. This meant that other materials had to be used, with goose feathers dyed green being used in early German examples. Although original artificial trees might have been an interesting novelty, it’s fair to presume that they weren’t so realistic as they are today. Before electronic fairy lights were widely available, artificial Christmas trees featured fake berries on the ends of branches which worked as candle holders. Early artificial trees were often made from aluminium or wood, but today’s versions are almost always made entirely from plastic. But the plastic in question is increasingly either recycled, recyclable or both.
As with any type of fake tree or plant, technology and increased expertise results in a more realistic specimen. Nowadays, artificial Christmas trees are highly realistic, with some using genuine bark in the manufacture process and needing to be touched to identify them as fake. The increase in realism has undoubtedly been a driving factor behind the increasing popularity of the artificial Christmas tree in the late 20th and early 21st century.
Every year the debate over the environmental impact of the artificial tree rears its head. Although it can be argued that using an artificial Christmas tree saves a real tree from being cut down, the manufacturing process of fake trees is harmful. Overall, a modern recyclable tree which is used year on year and disposed of responsibly is not as environmentally damaging as you might believe.
Amongst people who use artificial trees, the most popular reasons for doing so are the reduced cost and increased convenience of not buying a new tree every single year. Indeed, whilst some areas of the artificial versus real tree debate may be hard to call, this one certainly isn’t. For the same price of a natural tree which can only be used once, you could be an impressive artificial Christmas tree which could be enjoyed for many Christmases.