Unsafe Chinese imports, such as milk, tires, toys, electronics, pet food, and pharmaceutical raw products are in the news of late. But for some time, China has imported artificial trees that contain PVC, (polyvinyl chloride) plastic, commonly referred to as vinyl, which is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created.
This issue should be of special concern to parents across America and point up China’s weak enforcement of environmental regulations. According to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, the manufacture of PVC creates and disperses dioxins, which can cause cancer, damage immune functions and impair children’s development.
Artificial Christmas trees were recently added to the Center for Health, Environment & Justice’s list of household products that contain PVC. For this reason, two of the largest Christmas tree farms aligned to form the Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers, a non-profit organization whose mission is to forward the benefits of live, cut trees and to heighten the awareness for the dangers of fake trees manufactured in China.
Yet, propaganda from the foreign ministry of China has stated that live cut Christmas trees are responsible for deforestation in the United States. In reality, the opposite is true. Christmas trees are grown and harvested like wheat, corn or any other crop, and for each tree that is cut, another is planted in its place. To join the Coalition, members must certify that their trees are grown responsibly through erosion control/soil conservation, integrated pest management, and tributary protection. For more information, visit www.christmastreecoalition.org.
Public Relations Contact: Rosica Strategic Public Relations