Artificial Grass – To Turf or Not To Turf
With water conservation a growing concern, perfect, low maintenance lawns featuring artificial grass are starting to grow in popularity. A key selling point of synthetic turf being that it is becoming more eco-friendly than the traditional natural lawn. Early versions of artificial turf more closely resembled shredded plastic than green sweeping fields of well manicured grass. Over the years the number of selections and varieties of artificial grass have grown, with a commensurate increase in the quality of the product. Companies like Purchase Green (photos above and below) offer many different types, textures and heights of synthetic grass, but they are only one of many companies in the growing artificial turf marketplace. Types of synthetic turf now include pet-friendly, residential landscaping, commercial, playgrounds and golf.
But is synthetic turf actually green? Some turf is cushioned using bits of recycled rubber from car tires, and is made from recycled polypropylene plastics. However at the end of the day, most synthetic turf, even if made from recycled products, is not in itself entirely green and recyclable.
What makes synthetic grass green?
Never needing to be watered is the foundation of synthetic turf’s appeal as a greener lawn option. In areas that can suffer from extreme drought and water scarcity – like San Diego and water-hungry Southern California – water conservation and eliminating the need to water lawns is fast becoming a necessity. Traditional lawns also suffer from evaporation in the hot sun and need to be watered – and frequently often over-watered to replenish lost moisture. Synthetic turf never needs to be watered – saving hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of water over the course of its lifetime. Artificial grass also eliminates the need for harmful fertilizers and herbicides, which run off as pollutants into waterways and can cause tremendous problems for marine life and fresh water systems. Turf also eliminates the need for maintenance and not everyone has an eco-friendly electric mower or a human propelled one. Running a gas-powered mower creates excessive emissions, consumes fossil fuel and causes noise pollution – and weekly yard and lawn maintenance can be an expensive investment.
In other, less water stressed areas, traditional lawns do have their own green advantages.
- Grass is a natural carbon sink. As grass grows it converts carbon dioxide into plant biomass, thus taking that CO2 out of the atmosphere.
- Grass clippings can be used in compost and are completely biodegradable.
- Lawns are cooler and don’t heat up as much as synthetic turf when exposed to direct sunlight – helping to reduce the heat island effect.
In conclusion, the conditions in your local community may determine if artificial turf is a good option for you. Even though artificial grass has come a long way since its debut in the 1960’s it is not a perfect solution. A better choice may be to forgo the traditional lawn altogether and switch to a rock, cactus, or native plant garden and landscaping. Over the last century, a sweeping green lawn may have been the desired, iconic surround for the typical suburban home, but as we aim for a more eco-friendly, practical world perhaps now is the time to change that trend and begin a new more sustainable one.
