Going Green: Synthetic Turf & Environmental Impact

Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that homeowners spend an average of 2.8 hours

weekly on lawn maintenance. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that landscape irrigation accounts for almost one-third of all residential water usage, adding up to millions of gallons of water per year. A study performed by the National Research Council determined that residential lawns and gardens receive more pesticide applications per acre than agriculture.

Of thirty common lawn pesticides:

• 19 are loaded with carcinogens
• 13 are linked with birth defects
• 21 have been shown to affect reproduction
• 15 have neurotoxicity
• 26 have been implicated in liver or kidney damage
• 27 are sensitizers and/or irritants
• 11 have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system

With the high volume of water wasted by lawns every year and the dangers of pesticides, not to mention the sheer amount of labor that goes into maintaining a lawn, it is no surprise that Americans are switching to synthetic lawns at a faster rate than ever. In coastal New York, a homeowner with a water front property was experiencing numerous issues with his natural lawn. Salt water from storms made the grass shrivel and die, geese feasted on bugs in the lawn, leaving their droppings everywhere, and the clay soil caused problems after every rainstorm. When Genesis Turf installed synthetic grass in the yard, hefty maintenance costs were eliminated, water drainage improved significantly and the geese droppings problem disappeared, as there were no longer any bugs to eat.

There are more reasons to switch to synthetic grass than ever before. First, the water saved by switching makes a large difference not only for your wallet, but for the environment as well. The Southern Nevada Water Authority estimated last year that every square foot of artificial turf that replaces natural grass can save 55 gallons of water per year. Even if the average lawn is as small as 1800 square feet, the annual water conservation for that lawn alone amounts to approximately 99,000 gallons of water each year. Imagine if every natural lawn was replaced with synthetic turf – the savings would be exponentially greater! Second, artificial lawns do not require any pesticides because they simply do not attract pests. This is good for the environment and for your own health of course, but it also spares you the cost of expensive lawn fertilizers and chemicals. It is also good for family pets. Ticks are known, especially in the Midwestern and Eastern parts of the country, to hide in grass and latch on to pets and people, spreading disease and generally being disgusting. With synthetic turf, there is nowhere for them to hide in the grass, much less infest your pets. Finally, not having to put back-breaking labor into the lawn frees up time for you to relax and simply enjoy your backyard. You also eliminate the need for gas-powered lawnmowers and weed whackers – another healthy benefit for the environment and your wallet.  Did we mention that artificial lawns look beautiful year round?

Genesis Lawn artificial grass is made out of the highest quality materials and is 100% recyclable. Many environmental benefits, such as drastically decreased water requirements, elimination of fuel requirements and greenhouse gasses from lawn maintenance equipment, elimination of the need for fertilizers or pesticides, and reduction of allergens are associated with using EnvyLawn for landscaping. In addition, it can be recycled at the end of its life cycle, thus reducing the amount of material that ends up in landfills. For more information, call us at 855-887-3435 and visit us online for more information.

– Genesis Turf