They're real, and they're spectacular.
That may have been what Kim Kardashian was thinking when she had a hallway in her home lined with no fewer than two dozen evergreens, but Reddit was not impressed.
Like much of what comes with Kardashian, it was hard to tell real from fake. On Instagram, she said the trees were all real and "smell so amazing."
"Those look like real trees that have been flocked," one Reddit user wrote. "It's a paper-cornstarch-boron mixture that's supposed to be flame retardant and also look like snow. Honestly I think they look tacky and there are better ways to mitigate fire risk but if your whole house is filled with them it's probably safer this way. Still an unnecessary use of these trees from my perspective though."
Another said: "Flocked trees can NOT be picked up or taken to greenwaste. Totally disgusting."
Real trees are more sustainable than fake ones, but flocking them renders that advantage obsolete. An average tree grows in seven years and absorbs carbon and other pollutants during that time, using 10 times fewer resources than artificial tree factories, according to One Tree Planted.
On the other hand, fake trees are made of metal and plastic, which will remain in the environment for thousands of years. And since 85% are made in China, they add an enormous burden in terms of carbon pollution via shipping.
Lead poisoning — which can cause irreversible brain and nervous system damage in children — is also a threat. RTK Environmental Group cited a 2002 study that showed three out of four artificial trees contained lead, meaning 50 million American households were at risk.
Kardashian's reputation surely didn't help her standing with the r/Anticonsumption crowd. Her companies have a greenwashing problem, and she has produced perhaps the most ridiculous response to the warming planet: bras with faux nipples so that "no matter how hot it is, you'll always look cold."
"Literally just go outside," one user said.
Another wrote: "That doesn't even look cozy or festive! If I had her money I sure as hell would have a much nicer house and much nicer Christmas decoratio
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