When I first read about organic Christmas trees I thought you have got to be kidding me. Then I realized that most Christmas trees are sprayed with pesticides and potentially other toxic chemicals. We bring the trees into our homes and our kids help us decorate the trees, we put their presents under the tree, etc. A lot of us are trying to lead a non-toxic lifestyle, buying non-toxic toys, eating organic but one big way of keeping chemicals out of your house during the Christmas season is to buy an organic tree. Here is a list of organic Christmas tree farms in different states. You can also do a search specific to your area. We found a great, small tree farm run by a really nice family that doesn’t use any pesticides (they were not on the list above). They aren’t certified organic but they never spray their trees with anything. We have made it a yearly tradition to buy our tree from them and it is the same price if not a little cheaper than the lots or bigger farms nearby. If you aren’t a fan of buying a tree each year then consider buying a live tree. Since writing this last year I did a post on organic, no spray, sustainable Christmas Trees in Washington State (so if you live in the state take a look at the list of tree farms).
I highly recommend staying away from artificial trees. Most artificial trees are made with PVC which is a toxic substance. Most PVC also contains lead (lead is a stabilizer in PVC). Lead is extremely dangerous for kids to be exposed to. It’s best to stay away from artificial trees all together.
Christmas lights also typically contain lead. Environmental Lights makes lead free Christmas lights. The lights are much more expensive than traditional lights but in my mind it is worth it. Nothing like stringing lights on your tree that have lead on them. If you aren’t able to purchase lead free lights then make sure you wash your hands after touching them and do not let children touch them. I’ve read that possibly IKEA’s Christmas lights are lower in lead (not lead free) than most other brands (I never researched it any further than what I read). The rational is that IKEA’s lights are also sold in Europe with stricter standards on lead than we have here in the US.
I hope you have a safe, toxin free Christmas!
natural baby mama 