8 Reasons to Rethink Your Artificial Grass
Jamie TedderArtificial grass has been widely marketed as an eco-friendly alternative to natural grass. With promises of conserving water, reducing maintenance, and maintaining year-round greenery, it seemed like the perfect solution for homeowners facing water restrictions or the time-consuming upkeep of traditional lawns.
However, despite its perceived benefits, artificial grass may be doing more harm than good. It poses significant environmental and health risks that are now gaining broader recognition as more information becomes available. It's time to reconsider whether synthetic turf lives up to its reputation as an environmentally friendly substitute for real grass.
Key Takeaways
- Despite being marketed as eco-friendly and low-maintenance, artificial grass poses serious risks to both human health and the environment. Synthetic turf contains harmful chemicals, contributes to microplastic pollution, and can reach extreme surface temperatures, increasing the risk of burns and injuries.
- Natural grass provides benefits that artificial turf cannot match. It helps reduce temperatures, purifies the air, improves soil health, and provides a safer, softer playing surface for children, pets, and athletes. Real grass is an essential part of a healthy ecosystem, filtering water and absorbing carbon dioxide.
- Bethel Farms offers high-quality grass sod for sale, including more drought-tolerant bermudagrass varieties cultivated to thrive in challenging conditions. Choosing real grass ensures a lush, eco-friendly landscape supporting the environment and your outdoor lifestyle.
What is Artificial Grass Made Of?
Artificial grass, also called synthetic turf, is a multi-layered product designed to recreate the look and feel of natural grass. The top layer, or the plastic grass blades, consists of plastic fibers, often made from nylon, polypropylene, or polyethylene. These synthetic blades are sewn into a backing layer and paired with infill materials, such as crumb rubber made from recycled tires. A drainage layer is also integrated to allow water to flow, and additional padding layers are added for specific applications like sports fields.
A single 80,000 sq. ft synthetic turf field has approximately 40,000 lbs. of plastic and 400,000 lbs. of infill. These plastic grass fields usually last about ten years and eventually end up in landfills or are incinerated, releasing harmful chemicals into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised concerns about the long-term environmental and health effects, including chemical exposure and pollution in local communities.
8 Reasons Artificial Grass is Not as Green as It Seems
Beneath the polished green look of artificial grass lies a host of environmental, health, and safety concerns often overlooked. From toxic chemical exposure and microplastics to serious heat and injury risks, synthetic turf poses significant challenges that natural grass doesn't.
1. It’s Not as Eco-Friendly as You Think
While artificial turf is advertised as a water-saving and low-maintenance alternative to natural grass, the reality is way different. The materials are primarily made from non-renewable, petroleum-based products, which are difficult to recycle. Despite claims of recyclability, most synthetic turf ends up in landfills.
Furthermore, the plastic grass compacts the soil beneath it, suffocating the microorganisms essential to maintaining healthy, fertile soil. Over time, the ground beneath the artificial turf becomes inhospitable, and significant efforts are required to restore the soil for growing plants.
2. Environmental Risks: Microplastics and Greenhouse Gases
Artificial turf poses serious environmental risks, particularly when it begins to break down. Its plastic fibers and crumb rubber break down into microplastics over time due to sun exposure, friction, and general wear. These microplastics end up in the surrounding air, soil, and waterways, contributing to pollution and negatively affecting ecosystems. Studies show that synthetic turf fields lose 0.5% to 8% of their plastic blades annually, translating into hundreds of pounds of plastic waste.
Polyethylene, the main component of artificial grass blades, also emits greenhouse gasses like methane and ethylene as it deteriorates. Methane, in particular, is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming. Artificial turf, therefore, is a less eco-friendly option than often advertised.
3. It’s Toxic
The chemicals present in synthetic turf fields pose serious health risks. Many artificial turf fields contain toxic substances such as benzene, arsenic, styrene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—all classified as human carcinogens. Infill materials like crumb rubber can also contain dangerous heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and zinc, which are harmful to human health. Additionally, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) present in artificial turf can trigger respiratory irritants and exacerbate asthma.
Children are especially vulnerable to these toxic chemicals, as their developing systems are more susceptible to environmental hazards. Children exposed to synthetic turf fields may also have increased exposure to flame retardants to prevent fires.
4. It Doesn’t Absorb Heat
Unlike natural grass, which cools its surroundings through evapotranspiration, artificial turf absorbs and retains heat. As a result, the surface temperature of synthetic turf fields can skyrocket, often exceeding 200°F on hot days.
Artificial turf fields are consistently hotter than natural grass, usually reaching the same temperatures as concrete or asphalt, which can lead to burns and heat-related injuries. This urban heat island effect makes synthetic turf playing fields especially dangerous for athletes, pets, and anyone spending extended periods outdoors.
5. It Poses Safety Risks
Despite being made to look and feel like real grass, artificial turf is significantly harder and less forgiving than its natural counterpart, which increases the risk of injury, particularly in sports and recreational activities. Unlike real grass, which provides natural cushioning, synthetic turf cannot absorb impact effectively.
As a result, athletes and children are more prone to injuries such as concussions, sprains, and abrasions. Additionally, the extreme heat generated by artificial turf—often reaching dangerously high surface temperatures—can lead to burns and heat-related illnesses like heatstroke, especially for those who spend extended time on these surfaces. Although design improvements have increased shock absorbency, artificial turf still poses more significant risks than real grass.
6. It Will Eventually Need to Be Replaced
Although marketed as a long-term solution, artificial turf fields eventually wear out, typically lasting 8 to 20 years. Factors like UV exposure, heavy foot traffic, and poor maintenance can shorten their lifespan, leading to costly replacements. Not only is the initial turf installation expensive, but the environmental cost of disposing of thousands of pounds of plastic grass and crumb rubber further undermines its sustainability claims.
7. It’s Not as Maintenance-Free as Advertised
Artificial turf may eliminate the need for mowing, but it still requires routine maintenance. To maintain its appearance and functionality, fake turf needs regular brushing to keep the fibers upright, refilling the crumb rubber infill, and cleaning to remove debris and prevent bacteria buildup. In warm climates, irrigation systems may also be necessary to reduce surface temperatures, further diminishing the water-saving advantages that artificial grass supposedly offers.
8. It’s Just Not Grass
While artificial turf may look like grass, it lacks the essential benefits of natural lawns. Grass fields, for example, help cool the environment by releasing water through transpiration. They also absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping improve air quality. Real grass acts as a natural filter, reducing stormwater runoff and providing habitats for insects and wildlife. Meanwhile, artificial turf does none of these things and can even exacerbate problems like urban heat and poor drainage.
A Safer Alternative Exists—Natural Grass
Real grass may require regular maintenance, but it offers unmatched benefits for the environment and human health. Unlike synthetic turf, natural grass helps reduce temperatures, purify the air, and support healthy soil ecosystems. Additionally, it provides a safer, softer playing surface, making it ideal for sports fields and backyards where children and pets play.
Continuous research and development have delivered more drought-tolerant grass varieties like Bimini Bermuda, which address the environmental challenges that led to the rise of artificial turf in the first place. These improved varieties are cultivated to thrive in difficult conditions, offering a sustainable and resilient alternative. In truth, real grass should never have been replaced—it has always been nature's best solution for a healthy landscape, both for its ecological benefits and its unrivaled ability to adapt to changing climates.