| China is the world's biggest manufacturer of | | | | floors are concrete and little money has been |
| Christmas products. China exports nearly 2 billion | | | | invested into proper work tables, work table |
| US dollars worth of Christmas products per year | | | | height, etc. Many workers are available as they |
| with more than half going to the United States. | | | | come in from the provinces where they farmed |
| Most of it comes from Shenzhen in South China's | | | | for much less. |
| Guangdong province.There are over 3,000 | | | | Most of these artificial Christmas trees and |
| factories in Shenzhen producing artificial Christmas | | | | Christmas wreaths are made from metals and |
| trees. Christmas lights, ornaments and Christmas | | | | plastics. The plastic material used predominantly is |
| wreaths are also made here. These items are all | | | | PVC - polyvinyl chloride. When PVC is |
| made from plastic and metals. | | | | manufactured it creates and disperses dioxin into |
| Shenzhen is on the coast about an hours drive | | | | the environment which is one of the most toxic |
| from Hong Kong. Before 1985, most of these | | | | man made chemicals. Dioxins enter the food chain |
| products were mass produced in Taiwan and | | | | through air or water and accumulate in fatty |
| Hong Kong where the labor was cheap and ports | | | | tissues of animals and humans where they can |
| were easily accessible. Taiwan and Hong Kong | | | | cause cancer, damage the immune system and |
| were not under the strict communist rule of | | | | impair children's development. Also PVC is often |
| China. By 1985, Taiwan and Hong Kong had | | | | stabilized with lead which is a carcinogen and also |
| developed into huge exporters and their local labor | | | | associated with neurological damage. Lead is used |
| costs had increased. They started looking for a | | | | in PVC because it makes the plastic more flexible |
| place nearby to ship materials to for assembly by | | | | which is beneficial in the wires and cords. It is also |
| cheaper workers. At the same time China was | | | | used to stabilize the color. Over time the lead in |
| moving away from communism and setting up | | | | the PVC product can disintegrate into lead laced |
| special economic zones. These zones welcomed | | | | dust. |
| foreign investment and industrial parks were | | | | Most people purchase artificial Christmas trees and |
| setup to attract them. Consequently, Hong Kong | | | | wreaths because they make less mess, they're |
| and Taiwanese companies started producing | | | | cheaper over time and convenient. Consumers |
| Christmas products in Shenzhen. The growth in | | | | should be aware of the dangers of the materials |
| exports from Shenzhen over the last 20 years | | | | used in these products and the environmental |
| has been huge. About 80% of the factories are | | | | damage done when these materials are |
| owned by Hong Kong companies and the other | | | | manufactured as well as the conditions of the |
| 20% by companies from Taiwan. | | | | workers producing them. Purchasing fresh Maine |
| Worker conditions in these factories are poor. The | | | | balsam fir Christmas wreaths is the |
| workers toil 12 hours a day six to seven days a | | | | environmentally friendly choice and it sure smells a |
| week for a monthly salary of $100 to $125. The | | | | lot better than plastic too. |