Artificial Grass: Debunking the Myths and Making Space for Nature.
There is no perfect material, we all know that. Every material we use has an environmental impact. As designers it is our responsibility to begin to understand these impacts in order to make better material decisions and increasingly engage with circular economy processes. We have written previously on sustainable materials here but today I wanted to focus on just one material; artificial grass. It is growing in popularity at a quite alarming rate and with debate raging in its favour from even those who consider themselves conservationists, I wanted to take a moment to explain why, we here at Studio 31, have never and will never, specify artificial grass. I also wanted to try to respond to some of the pro artificial grass comments to enable people to understand why there is always a better solution.
Why Not Artificial Grass
- Artificial grass is plastic
Artificial grass is plastic. It is a petroleum-based product created using fossil fuels, producing pollution and creating waste. Whilst it is now often made using some recycled content, it is not compostable, biodegradable or fully recyclable meaning it will end up in landfill. There are some companies arguing that their product can be recycled. In reality this involves yet another intensive process to separate component parts; sending some to landfill whilst recycling others into new products (often which fossil fuels have been used to make) these new products then end up in landfill at the end of their life. The recycling process is neither standard, infinite or accessible meaning that even if it is ‘partially’ possible, it requires a good deal of effort on the part of the consumer and in reality, it doesn’t happen.
- Artificial grass has a huge negative biodiversity impact.
– Artificial grass results in habitat loss and has a detrimental effect on life both above and below ground. Preparing ground for artificial grass means heavily compacting soil which damages soil structure and reduces microbial activity and diversity within it.
– It takes hundreds of years for topsoil to develop, natural grass significantly reduces erosion of this topsoil and provides habitats for insects, plants and other organisms which are essential in breaking down and recycling organic materials.
– Soil is also involved in flood prevention and filtering pollutants from water both of which processes can be significantly compromised by using artificial grass (see point 7).
- Artificial Grass has a heating effect.
Artificial grass will heat up more than natural grass and maintain a higher temperature. When exposed to direct sunlight, artificial grass temperature can rise quickly and will not have the natural cooling effect of a real grass lawn. This can be dangerous for pets and children using the surface and also contributes to ‘heat island effect’ and its associated negatives including “contribution to global warming and unpredictable climate changes” (Deliami et al, 2018).
- Artificial grass is expensive
It costs somewhere between £45-60 per metre square to lay artificial grass plus installation and other associated costs. Natural grass is in the region of £5-7 per square metre. Meaning you could lay your lawn 9 times (every 2.7 years) in the 25-year lifespan of artificial grass and still be better off financially.
NB We don’t recommend replacing your lawn nine times in twenty-five years. Should you need to do this, you probably require another design solution or alternative maintenance programme.
Myths and Inaccuracies
- I can put pots out to attract wildlife
We agree that (in most cases), some plants are better than no plants, but potted plants will require high levels of maintenance (low maintenance is usually a primary factor for wanting artificial grass) and do not contribute to the soil in the same way planting direct into the ground does. The life cycle of plants means that decaying plants add nutrients to the soil and many organisms live on the roots and unseen parts of a plant. A few plants surrounding artificial grass will never be a substitute for a natural garden. Wildlife requires connection, corridors through which to travel, reproduce and feed and good quality soil underground in which to thrive. Isolated pot plants are not a substitute for a garden forming part of a wildlife corridor.
- I hate bugs. Artificial grass means I won’t have any insects or pests in my garden
I understand that for some, certain parts of nature are frightening, irritating or undesirable and though we at Studio 31 are insect lovers, we understand this isn’t the case for everyone. However, attempting to reduce insect population in a garden by completely replacing grass with artificial turf is unlikely to work and actually more likely to create an ecosystem imbalance. The simple fact is that love them or hate them, those “insects and pests” are part of the great web of life. Without them life on earth simply couldn’t survive; the plants and flowers that the insects pollinate, the birds and small mammals which feed on them and subsequently the larger predators which feed on the small mammals would all eventually die out. The survival of those insects and ‘pests’ is interconnected with our own survival and whether we want them inside our homes or not, we need them in our gardens. You may think that your small garden space won’t have much impact on this problem but domestic gardens contribute between 22 and 36% of the total urban area (Gaston et al., 2005; Mathieu et al., 2007) and a significant proportion of the urban green space, between 35- 47% in the UK (Loram et al., 2007 cited in Cameron et al.). That is a huge proportion of urban green space meaning YOUR garden is of HUGE importance to nature.
- I don’t have to water artificial grass.
No but you do have to wash it. Many companies argue ‘water saving’ as the number one environmental benefit for artificial grass but again the reality is that the damage done by this product in terms of water far outweighs its water saving benefits. Soil filters many harmful pollutants from water which means that by the time water reaches water courses, it has been cleaned. Many artificial grasses are non-permeable causing water to run off rather than through the soil. Those which are permeable require maintenance to ensure drainage holes don’t become blocked and often the ground compaction required for the artificial grass to be laid compresses the soil so much that water is unable to permeate it and runs off under the membrane instead. Artificial grass contributes to water pollution and flooding as well as poor soil quality.
- Artificial grass is the only option for people with mobility difficulties.
Put simply, no it isn’t. It is perfectly possible for a lawn to be laid level and be suitable for those with hugely varied degrees of mobility including wheelchair users. Why should the health and environmental benefits of nature be denied to an individual simply because of their mobility? Those who say artificial grass is the only answer, aren’t working hard enough to be inclusive. At Studio 31 we design for health; nature has inordinate health benefits and we want everyone to have access to those
- You have to mow real grass
Gardens are living things and as such do require some maintenance. With a lawn, this usually means mowing but is unlikely to be all year round and to reduce environmental impact; can be with an electric mower powered from renewable energy sources. ‘Low maintenance’ is probably our number one request from clients and it is very possible to create a low maintenance, functional garden (with or without lawn) but with zero plastic. If you are fortunate enough to have a little space, you can also attract a great deal of wildlife to your garden by allowing areas of grass to grow up which require cutting only once per year. Even just a tiny “wild” corner can attract a huge diversity of animals.
- Artificial grass is zero maintenance
Contrary to popular belief, artificial grass also requires maintenance. It requires regular cleaning and the cleaning requirements are much higher where animals are using the surface. The smell of animal urine on the grass is a common problem and pet hair (and other debris) needs to be regularly swept from it to allow water and other liquids to drain. Given the choice between washing (and sweeping) my grass or mowing it, I know which I would choose.
- Other materials also have negative environmental impacts.
By arguing that artificial grass has negative environmental benefits, no-one is arguing all other materials have positive ones. There are many materials whose uses need to be assessed and potentially restricted or banned. This doesn’t change the fact that artificial grass has a huge negative environmental impact and better material choices can always be made.
- Artificial grass negates the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals used on lawns.
Mosses and weeds growing within lawns increase biodiversity and, in many cases, make lawns look greener. For this reason, many people never treat their lawns (we have never treated ours at home) however for those that do, there are a number of natural methods of treating your lawn and an abundance of organic products on the market which don’t cause environmental damage. Additionally, there are increasing reports of gardeners being asked to “weed” artificial grass as mosses and weeds are growing on those too. Leading, ironically to a very strange aesthetic and people using pesticides on their artificial grass.
- Artificial grass is safer for my children
Again, put simply, no it isn’t. The benefits of nature connection to children include improved problem solving, improved concentration, improved academic performance, safer risk taking, improved social relationships, reduced stress and anxiety (improved mental health), increased physical activity, improved nutrition and improved memory. Even if a lawn were to be patchy, muddy or bare, it would still be infinitely better for your child’s health and wellbeing than artificial grass. Children need nature urgently and in greater abundance than ever. Your garden, school field or local park space might be their only way to access to nature, and we simply can’t support covering them in plastic.
The solutions
The solutions are many, varied and often site-specific so it is worth getting professional advice from a designer or landscaper. However, just some of the options include shade tolerant lawns, slow growing lawns, correct lawn preparation including getting drainage right, correct sub-bases and environmentally friendly maintenance products. All of which are likely to increase the chance of having a thriving, low-maintenance lawn. There are also other alternatives to a traditional lawn including some hard and soft landscape elements which have a marked lower environmental impact than artificial grass.
I know that the marketing for artificial grass is powerful and persuasive and often it does feel like an easy solution to a whole host of garden problems but with a little knowledge and some good design there is always a better way; a way that is healthier for people and planet. That said, we know that maybe for some, even the arguments above and any design solutions presented will still make not using artificial grass feel like a compromise. To those people, what I would say is this; with the climate crisis more urgent than ever, we all need to make compromises for the health of the planet and it is my belief that, whatever your reasons for wanting artificial grass, choosing not to use it, is one compromise well worth making.
References
Alloway BJ. 2004. Contamination of soils in domestic gardens and allotments: a brief overview. Land Contamination & Reclamation 12, 179-187.
Delilami, K., Kamruzzaman, Md. And Liu, Y. (2018) Urban heat island effect: A systematic review of spatio-temporal factors, data, methods, and mitigation measures. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. Vol 67. Page 30-42.
Gaston KJ, Warren PH, Thompson K, Smith RM. 2005. Urban Domestic Gardens (IV): The Extent of the Resource and its Associated Features. Biodiversity and Conservation 14, 3327-3349.
Gibbons S, Mourato S, Resende G. 2011. The amenity value of English nature: a hedonic price approach. London, UK: Spatial Economics Research Centre (SERC), London School of Economics and Political Sciences
Hoorman, J. and Islam, R. (2010) Understanding Soil Microbes and Nutrient Recycling. Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Ohio State University Factsheet.
Loram A, Tratalos J, Warren PH, Gaston KJ. 2007. Urban domestic gardens (X): the extent & structure of the resource in five major cities. Landscape Ecology 22, 601-615.
Mathieu R, Freeman C, Aryal J. 2007. Mapping private gardens in urban areas using objectoriented techniques and very high-resolution satellite imagery. Landscape and Urban Planning 81, 179-192
Ross W.F. CAMERON , Tijana BLANUŠA, Jane E. TAYLOR , Andrew SALISBURY , Andrew J. HALSTEAD , Béatrice HENRICOT and Ken THOMPSON. The Domestic Garden – Its Contribution to Urban Green Infrastructure.
Smith, C., Dawson, D., Archer, J., Davies, M., Frith, M., Hughes, E. and Massini, P., 2011. From green to grey; observed changes in garden vegetation structure in London, 1998-2008, London Wildlife Trust, Greenspace Information for Greater London, and Greater London Authority. Figure calculated using land identified as “private residential gardens” in Ordnance Survey MasterMap® Topography Layer data (updated June 2006).
Photo by Jonas Weckschmied