Toxic tinsel?

Today we put up the Christmas decorations and the tree. I have always loved tinsel. There’s something magical about that sparkle. But the other day I heard someone proposing a ban on tinsel.

Tinsel was invented in Nuremberg in about 1610 and was used on Christmas trees to enhance the effect of candles flickering. The first tinsel was made from silver, which had the disadvantage of tarnishing, as well as being expensive. In the twentieth century metallic tinsel was made using lead, until concerns about lead poisoning in the USA led to a voluntary ban on lead based tinsel.


Modern tinsel is made from plastic, specifically PVC, which creates toxic pollution and is very difficult to recycle. Hence the proposed ban. Perhaps someone will invent environmentally friendly tinsel?