Why Using Artificial Grass Is More Environmentally Friendly – TEXAS ELITE LANDSCAPING

Why Using Artificial Grass Is More Environmentally Friendly

Artificial grass was first introduced in the 1960s to be used for high quality synthetic surfaces for professional sports teams. Over time, new technologies have evolved and companies have developed a more affordable product that even home owners can realistically afford as an artificial lawn replacement. As synthetic grass has become more popular, it has also been highlighted by some environmentalists saying that using this type of synthetic surface on your garden contributes a negative effect on the environment. We have looked in more detail at the matter and discovered numerous reasons why using synthetic grass in your garden can actually benefit the environment.

An argument often used by environmentalists is that synthetic grass cannot convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, which of course benefits the environment. This may be true, but, what does it take to maintain a natural grass lawn? Of course you will need a lawn mower which is usually either electric or petrol driven, as very few people own lawn mowers that are not power driven these days. Therefore, using synthetic grass can actually reduce the presence of carbon monoxide in the environment.

Additionally, to maintain natural grass, chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers and weed killers should be periodically applied. Chemicals such as these have been estimated to contribute as much as 8% towards global warming. Likewise, direct contact with the said toxic chemicals is actually hazardous to humans as they have been proven to increase the risk of cancer as well as other fatal diseases. Obviously, replica grass doesn’t need all these chemicals so it is totally safe even to children.

To keep your natural grass garden as green and as healthy as possible, you need to water regularly particularly in hot climates or during summer months. It has been equated that a natural lawn requires approximately 55 gallons of water per year for every square foot of grass, to keep it lush and healthy. On the other hand, this will never be the case if replica grass is utilized. So can you imagine how much precious water you can conserve over a year with an artificial lawn? And by doing so, it will also save you money with your water bill.

Meanwhile, it was also raised that replica grass tends to produce runoffs after heavy rain preventing replenishment of groundwater. Accordingly, these runoffs bypass sewage treatment systems and discharge contaminated water into nearby surface waters. This is actually wrong! Most replica grass nowadays is permeable and can actually allow absorption of rainwater into the established drainage systems.

We totally agree with the concern of the environmentalist that our mother earth is actually being affected because of human generated activities. However, there are numerous reasons, some of which we have covered above, why artificial grass may in fact benefit the environment and it seems unlikely that these synthetic surfaces contribute any significant negative effect. There is certainly a place for natural grass lawns, and long may they continue. But a growing number of people are now opting for artificial grass lawns as an aesthetically pleasing and lower maintenance option to surface their garden.