# Carbon-Eating Fake Trees Researchers Develop Air-Cleansing Faux Trees By wang fangqing/ Frances Wang | Published 2009-04-19 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/faketrees References: [dsc.discovery](http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/16/trees-geoengineering.html) & [grestech](http://www.grestech.com/) This artificial tree is definitely not for decoration. In fact, it’s a creation that will help clean our air. Researchers at Arizona-based [Global Research Technologies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/responsible-seafood-summit) are working on the first fake tree by combining all sorts of materials that [absorb carbon dioxide from the air](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/manganesebased-catalyst) to mimic a tree's natural properties. One of the basic materials, for example, is an alkaline resin developed by Professor Klaus Lackner at [Columbia University](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luffa-stoolita) in New York. It reacts with acidic carbon dioxide to do its work. Since the tree will also store CO2, it’s especially useful for companies like soft drink manufacturers and petroleum companies who rely on CO2 for their everyday operation. The first tree is scheduled for launch in 2-3 years and will be priced around $150 per ton initially. It's expected that this price will eventually drop to about $20 per ton as the technology improves and becomes more mainstream. Additional Image Source: [VillageTech](http://villagetech.org/) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 31% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Artificial Carbon Absorption:** Artificial trees that absorb and store carbon dioxide offer a disruptive innovation opportunity for carbon-intensive industries seeking to combat climate change. - **Carbon Capture Technology:** Developing materials and technologies capable of capturing CO2 from the air presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies reliant on CO2 for their operations. - **Sustainable Air Purification:** The development of faux trees as air-cleansing solutions opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for industries seeking sustainable methods of reducing carbon emissions. ### Who This Affects Most - **Manufacturing:** The artificial carbon absorption technology in fake trees has the potential to disrupt the manufacturing industry by providing a sustainable way to capture and store CO2 emissions. - **Energy:** The carbon capture technology used in faux trees presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the energy industry, allowing for more efficient carbon dioxide management and reduction. - **Food and Beverage:** The sustainable air purification capabilities of faux trees offer disruptive innovation opportunities for food and beverage companies that rely on CO2 by providing a more environmentally friendly solution for carbon dioxide utilization. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [CO2 Conversion Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/threelayer-electrode.md) - [Air-Purifying Houseplants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neoplants.md) - [Carbon-Negative Artificial Sand](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artificial-sand.md) - [Tree-Inspired Solar Panel Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solarbotanic-energy-tree.md) - [Plant-Shaped Air Purifiers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artsy-air-purifiers.md) - [Algae-Powered Air Purifiers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/algenair-aerium.md) - [Shrimp Waste Carbon Materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/university-of-sharjah.md) - [Plant-Powered Air Purifiers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neo-px-air-purifier.md) - [Gasoline-Producing Prototype Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aircela.md)