Millennials' Holiday Preferences Are Saving The Christmas Tree Industry

In reality, farmers grow Christmas trees with the intention of cutting them down and sending them to market, and they require considerably fewer resources to grow than the artificial options composed of PVC plastic, steel, and aluminum, not to mention packaging and other materials required to send them from Asia -- where, Vox noted, the majority of them are manufactured -- to the United States.

Real trees also boast a positive effect on the environment, post-holiday season, as they can be recycled or turned into mulch or biofuel, while fake trees, not being recyclable or biodegradable, sit in landfills for generations, adding to plastic pollution.

"You're not doing any harm by cutting down a Christmas tree," botanist Cling Springer told the New York Times. "A lot of people think artificial is better because you're preserving the life of a tree. But in this case, you've got a crop that's being raised for that purpose."

"While prices have increased over the past two years, this is the first time in more than a decade that many local tree farmers are profitable," the National Christmas Tree Association's Executive Director Tim O'Connor told Square Up. "Now more than ever, we hope to see families support American Christmas tree farmers, and create their own holiday tradition and family memories of choosing a locally grown tree this Christmas."