Artificial grass has seen considerable progress since its inception. And many people have decided to incorporate it into their gardens for its many great benefits.
Flexibility is one of the main advantages of these artificial grass. Ideal for gardens and sports fields, synthetic grass can also be used in many other places like balconies, terraces, interiors, stairs, playgrounds, etc.
Yet many people are still reluctant to make this change. The debate on natural or synthetic grass remains open. But perhaps the most important question is: is the use of artificial grass safe for the environment? Is it an ecological choice?
Water consumption
Artificial grass, compared to other surfaces of your garden, rarely needs water for its maintenance. Other than to remove dust and dirt(especially if have pets) and to refresh it.
This result in considerable savings, up to 70% or more, compared to natural grass, even more, if you live in drought areas. Compared to other surfaces such as tiles or concrete, the savings could not be as great, but they would still exist because the cooling of the lawn in summer is much faster than in the case of these materials, which retain more heat.
We all know how important it is to conserve and use resources wisely. Artificial grass, therefore, has a point in its favour.
Recycling
Those who oppose this artificial grass also argue that it is not recyclable.
The lifespan of these synthetic grass can be up to 25 years, but some fear that if it is not recyclable at the end of its useful life, it will end up in landfills generating more waste.
However, this is not entirely true. Synthetic turfs are not all the same. Indeed, many lawns are made with recyclable materials.
Reducing carbon emissions
Many argue that synthetic grass does not absorb carbon dioxide or release oxygen like natural grass. This is absolutely true, but this role is played by natural grass only during the day as during the night, natural grass also generates CO2, part of which is adhered to the ground.
On the other hand, the carbon footprint of natural grass is underestimated due to its maintenance. Many studies have proved that pruning and mowing add energy consumption which increases emissions. And then, one of the basic fertilisers used in parks and gardens contains nitrogen. And a gas whose greenhouse effect is 300 times greater than the impact on CO2.
The results revealed that natural grass maintenance tasks emit more greenhouse gases than they eliminate, so natural grass is not as green as believed.
In this sense, artificial grass requires only minimal maintenance and does not need fertiliser to be green and fresh. Therefore, one could say that its maintenance significantly reduces the carbon footprint compared to the natural alternative.
Warming
The heating of artificial grass is also an issue that raises concerns among people. This is quite true that at this point, natural grass is cooler overall than artificial grass.
On the other hand, if we consider other surfaces such as concrete or tiles, we can say that synthetic grass would be a better option. Although all these surfaces absorb heat, synthetic grass cools more quickly reducing its temperatures as it won’t retain the heat.
