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