MADE WITHOUT PVC
PVC-free, down to the details.
Realistic molded polyethylene (PE) branches, even deep inside the tree. The trunk wrapping is PE too. No PVC filler or PVC wrapping.
- Outer and inner foliage
- 100% molded polyethylene (PE), including the tips near the trunk.
- Trunk-wrapping tape
- Polyethylene, not PVC. The material choice continues beyond the branches.
- Frame and stand
- Metal structural components. The foliage is 100% PE; the whole tree is not made only of plastic.
Which Always Green trees are PVC-free?
This specification applies to Classic Slim, Ukrainian, Grace and Ukrainian Prime, in every size in our current collection. These trees are sold unlit; lights and decorations are not included.
Why does the inside of the tree matter?
Look past the outer branches when choosing a realistic artificial Christmas tree. Our molded foliage continues toward the trunk, rather than changing to flat PVC filler inside. The close-up photographs on this page show that construction.
What do PE and PVC mean?
PE means polyethylene. PVC means polyvinyl chloride. They are different plastics. We use polyethylene for our molded foliage and trunk-wrapping tape, with no PVC in the tree.
Why choose PVC-free materials?
Some flexible PVC products use phthalates to soften the plastic. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies health concerns with certain phthalates, and explains that they can migrate out of products. Biomonitoring California also recommends avoiding flexible vinyl as one way to reduce phthalate exposure. Our design uses PE foliage and PE trunk wrapping rather than PVC.
Does this prove our trees are healthier?
No. PVC-free describes our materials. It does not prove lower emissions or better health outcomes from using a finished Christmas tree. Not all PVC products contain phthalates, and chemical additives vary by formulation. We do not claim that every PVC tree is harmful or that our trees are independently certified non-toxic or medically safer.
Material information describes our manufacturing specification. Photographs illustrate the materials and construction; they are not chemical test results. For questions about a particular model or documentation, contact our team.
Two artificial trees can look alike in a photo and feel completely different in your living room. One important difference is what the branch tips are made of: molded polyethylene (PE) or cut PVC film.
What PVC tips are
PVC tips are cut from flat sheets of plastic film and twisted onto a wire. Each needle is a flat strip. Up close, and in daylight, that flatness shows. PVC is inexpensive, which is why many trees use it, at least on the inside.
Pictured: a wire of orange PVC
Pictured: a PVC tip.
What molded PE tips are
PE tips are made by melting polyethylene and pressing it into molds. Ours are taken from real spruce branches, so each tip comes out three-dimensional, with the texture and taper of real needles.
Side by side
| Molded PE | Cut PVC film | |
|---|---|---|
| Needle shape | Round, 3D, molded from real spruce | Flat strips |
| Look up close | Close to a real tree | Reads as artificial |
| Feel | Soft and flexible | Stiffer, papery |
| Cost to make | Higher | Lower |
The catch: the inside of the tree
Many trees sold as PE use molded tips only on the outside and fill the inside with PVC to save money. You see it when you look into the tree. Every Always Green tree has 100% molded polyethylene foliage, including its inner branches. The trunk-wrapping tape is polyethylene too; no PVC is used in the tree. We call it Always Real™ foliage: molded PE tips all the way to the trunk, so the tree looks real up close, from every angle.
Built by hand
Each molded tip is bound onto its branch stem with a special thread, one at a time. It takes longer than twisting PVC film onto wire, and you can see the difference in the finished branch.
See the whole process: Story of our trees.