The LCA included transport to, from and around China and considered the appropriate emissions factors for Chinese energy production. While the notion that Chinese production is less environmentally friendly than domestic production, the LCA helped quantify those impacts comparatively to a live cut tree.

While the Chinese production and the materials used in the manufacturing of an artificial tree produced a greater initial environmental impact than a live cut tree, the lifespan of an artificial tree is much longer than a live cut tree.

If asked about Chinese Working Conditions.

This study was to focus on the lifecycle impacts of an artificial christmas tree as compared to a live cut christmas tree. Social Issues such as working conditions were not part of the study and we cannot speak to those.

Are there Christmas Trees made in the USA?

Yes there are, consumers who are concerned with the location of manufacturing should look on the box of an artificial tree to determine its origin.

Would a Christmas Tree made in the USA have less environmental impact?

This is a good question, the assumption in that question is that transportation is the reason why the artificial tree has a larger footprint than a live cut tree. We do not know this to be entirely true. We may find that American facilities are less efficient than Chinese facilities, or consume more energy resources to produce a single artificial tree. To determine this, another LCA would need to be done using a product manufactured in the USA.