Thanks to people like Greta Thunberg, our focus is being turned to the environment and how we, as humans, can affect it for good and bad.
Artificial Grass and the environment, good or bad?
It’s a good question because these days, we’re all a little more concerned about what we do, eat, and buy, usually in terms of our health and well-being.
Like most things, artificial turf has its good points and its bad points – it would be naive to think otherwise – but does one outweigh the other?
The downsides of faux turf?
The first and most obvious is that, of course, there’s an awful lot of plastic goes into artificial grass, and there was a time when none of the component parts could be recycled. However, there’s been a lot of work done to reverse this, and for the most part, the work has borne fruit, although availability is limited.
The parts are separated, and (for example) the plastic is ‘pelletised’ and made into other products.
The other option you might consider is repurposing the fake grass that you no longer want. This is especially good because although the looks might have faded, the functionality of the ‘grass’ might still be good. Examples of repurposing artificial grass include:
– dog or cat runs
– cricket practice areas
– play areas
– other people’s gardens
Last but not least, the use of artificial turf doesn’t support natural life or vegetation. You can obviously offset this by planting in other areas of your garden – using hanging baskets in areas where space is tight, for example.
The ecosystem needs to be maintained as much as you possibly can, and Ecograss is happy to advise on matters like this when you ask us to look at installing an artificial grass area for you.
The positives of artificial grass
Your garden, leisure space, or whatever you have has an impact on the environment, whether you can see it or not – and artificial grass has a positive role to play.
Properly installed by the experts at Ecograss, fake grass can help reduce your carbon footprint while giving that ‘newly mown’ look and feel – without the physical exertion or the need to water – and it’s sustainable. Choosing a high-quality product and having it fitted correctly means that your faux grass could last way past its guarantee period, and 20 years is entirely possible!
Think of how often you’d have to mow, trim or edge a natural grass lawn and the chemical substances you might need to use to keep it looking its best – pesticides, fertilisers and the like.
Depending on the weather, you might need to do it once a week in the summer, using lots of electricity or diesel for your mower, strimmer and any other bits of kit you might need to use. If you’re lucky enough to have a humongous garden, you might use a ride-on mower – even more of a negative environmental impact – the result is a win for artificial grass.
If you have any queries about synthetic grass and how you can manage the environmental factors in your garden, we’re always happy to offer advice where we can, so give us a call or contact us.
