It’s the American ideal: a green lawn, neatly trimmed, and free of brown spots or blemishes. Like most American ideals, it comes at a high cost—unending weekends of fertilizing, mowing, and watering.

But what if you could have the perfect lawn without the maintenance, chemicals and pesticides, and the three trillion gallons of water that grass consumes each year? That’s the promise of artificial turf, a product proliferating across American yards as severe droughts strain our national water supply. In major cities like Las Vegas, Palm Beach, Florida, and even Boise, Idaho, homeowners all seem to be clamoring to replace their sod with yards of artificial turf.

Veer Singh, owner of four Purchase Green stores across California and Texas, has up to 100 clients interested in installing artificial grass at any time. “I’ve seen a huge adoption,” he says. “How will we fight drought? By eliminating ornamental lawns. That’s where a lot of our water goes.”

It’s been impossible to witness this year’s fires, droughts, and disasters without feeling compelled to reduce waste in our own backyards. As the environmentalist Wendell Berry wrote in his 1972 collection of essays Think Little, “There is no public crisis that is not also private.” But environmental scientists and landscape architects largely agree that artificial turf—which now covers 265 million square feet of land in the States—can cause more problems than it solves. So what should you do? Before scheduling that turf installation, here are three important things to consider.

Water conservation is multifaceted

According to San Clemente landscape designer Jodie Cook, although grass requires potable water and turf doesn’t, that’s too narrow a comparison. Other elements of the water cycle are a major issue. Plants, even grasses, create water themselves. “When you put turf down and replace a living plant, you’re removing moisture from the environment,” she explains. “You’re removing atmospheric water.”

Turf also impacts runoff. Plastic traps heat during the day and holds it through the night, meaning runoff water will leave turf hotter than it would natural grass. “That’s a problem for aquatic ecosystems,” Cook says. Rubber filler, the particulate layer that gives artificial turf its springy bounce, can wash away and contribute to microplastics in waterways.

Artificial turf’s impermeability can also prevent rain from returning to the soil to recharge groundwater, a concern that led Los Angeles to revoke turf rebates in favor of other options. But Singh says that the technology of artificial grass has improved in the last decade. So if you’re installing turf, be sure to look for brands that offer cooling features and water permeability.

Artificial grass isn’t green forever

At an average of $12 per square foot ($7,200 for a 600-square-foot yard) the installation of an artificial lawn will buy you years of maintenance-free greenery (or low maintenance, since turf still requires raking to maintain shape and re- topping of infill rubber to keep things bouncy). But eventually, those artificial lawns do degrade.

IIn every other way it was a marquee. The sight of 69,274 fans, a record stadium visit to CenturyLink Field, was enough to illustrate this, though the elaborate TIFOs, pyrotechnics, and “March To The Match” from downtown Seattle to the venue only added to the spectacle. Indeed, last year’s MLS Cup Final had all of the components of a big match except one: the pitch.

Like every Seattle Sounders home game since the club was introduced to the league in 2009, last year’s MLS Cup final was played on artificial turf. FieldTurf, to be precise. It was the same season before that Atlanta United hosted the Portland Timbers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That too was a great sporting opportunity to be able to keep up with everything that was produced in the Champions League, Europa League or any other European competition. Just like in Seattle, however, the plastic field was out of place.

Artificial surfaces are allowed in the Champions League, but not for the final. In 2008, just a few weeks before the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United, a new grass pitch was hastily laid out because the usual plastic pitch in the Luzhniki Stadium was considered unsuitable for such a big game. This gives an idea of ​​how Uefa really feels about their commitment to the elite level of the European game.

There is no artificial turf in the Premier League or in the championship. In fact, there is no man-made space in any of England’s 42 Senior League venues. Even in countries that use plastic surfaces like Scotland, they are highly malignant. “I don’t like plastic courts, I didn’t like playing on them. I think they are dangerous, ”said Steven Gerrard, former England and Liverpool captain and now Rangers manager, after playing on artificial turf last year, his views reflecting the wider football community.

MLS and the owners of its member clubs were outrageously optimistic about becoming one of the best leagues in the sport in the not too distant future. But can that really be achieved if so many teams are still playing on artificial playing fields?

While MLS has made great strides in building football-specific stadiums in Canada and the United States over the past decade, the sight of plastic fields in the division is a reminder of the compromises it continues to make. With the exception of Portland Timbers’ Providence Park, every man-made playing surface currently in MLS will be installed in a multi-purpose stadium.

In the case of Atlanta United and the Seattle Sounders, it could be argued that playing on FieldTurf is a necessary illness. After all, these are two clubs with such large fan bases that they can only be accommodated in NFL-sized super stadiums. The benefit that comes with this makes it worthwhile to play on an imperfect field, or so some might say.

Of course, it should be noted that not all artificial pitches are created equal. Some are better than others. Portland Timbers’ FieldTurf surface, for example, is generally better than the man-made surface at Gillette Stadium. Nevertheless, artificial turf plays a little differently than natural turf. Some players refuse to play on them because they fear it will make knee or ankle injuries worse. See how Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed almost every game on plastic during their time in MLS. This is a problem for a league that is still using aging European stars like Henry and Ibrahimovic as marketing tools.

There is little scientific evidence to suggest that players on man-made playing fields are more prone to injury. A 2013 US study examining female college soccer players actually showed a lower incidence rate for total injuries and a lower incidence rate for serious injuries on man-made pitches than grass – but there’s no doubt about the stigma attached to the Use of artificial parking spaces is connected.

A survey conducted anonymously by ESPN found that 63% of MLS players would consider whether a team is playing on grass or plastic or not when making any transfer decision. Back in 2007, when David Beckham had just started showing up at the LA Galaxy, there was growing disagreement about the existence of man-made surfaces in the league. “Every game, every team should have grass without a doubt,” Beckham said at the time. The discussion of plastic spacing in MLS isn’t new, but that’s a big part of the point. Players continue to feel like they are not being heard.

The scientific argument against artificial playing fields may not be particularly convincing, but the adverse effects they have on football as a product are worth discussing. Games on grass tend to be faster. The ball doesn’t bounce that high and gives preference to teams that prefer to play on the floor. MLS is more concerned with its packaging than most of the other leagues and this is certainly a consideration to be given.

The argument in defense of artificial turf usually includes the point that it is still better than a bad turf pitch. But the best leagues, the kind of leagues MLS wants to be one day, don’t play on bad grass courts. You are playing on green carpets, which are usually of a natural and synthetic consistency. There is certainly no grass pitch in the Premier League like the one New York City FC plays at Yankee Stadium.

MLS is still in a development phase in 2020. The league is only celebrating its 25th anniversary this season. This allows some margin of maneuver, but just as there is pressure to raise or remove the division’s salary cap so clubs can build fuller and more balanced squads, thereby increasing the quality of the game, a step towards an all-grass league should be a stated goal. If the Champions League final was not played, the MLS Cup final should not be played either.

It’s green, pristine, and doesn’t need to be mowed, but gardeners argue that artificial turf isn’t good for the planet. Hannah Stephenson investigates.

Critics say plastic turf is not environmentally friendly and can end up in a landfill after use. Image: iStock / PA
– Photo credit: Press Association Images

There was a boom in artificial turf during the lockdown, but gardeners are urging gardeners to grow natural lawns to help wildlife and improve air quality.

Andy Driver, LazyLawn’s sales director, said sales of artificial turf at LazyLawn, the UK’s largest artificial turf supplier, rose 300 percent in three months after the lockdown.

“Makeovers have increased and artificial turf has played a role in that,” he says. “The market ranges from the older generation, who are too troublesome to mow the lawn, to families with busy lawns that are quickly ruined, and people with very small gardens who don’t think it is It is worth having a small patch of real grass, which requires a lawnmower to care for. “

Critics counter that artificial turf is not environmentally friendly and can end up in a landfill after use.

“Lawns bind carbon in the soil and promote wildlife,” says Guy Barter, chief gardener at RHS. Image: iStock / PA
– Photo credit: Press Association Images

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Fake grass was on display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show a decade ago, but it has long been banned from the exhibition, says Guy Barter, chief gardener at RHS. “As an environmental organization, we don’t think that’s appropriate,” he says. “I would get real weed every time. I’d rather throw myself in a ditch than have an artificial lawn. “

Lawn expert David Hedges-Gower agrees. “You either want to go with nature or you don’t.”

What are the advantages of a real lawn?

Real lawns are undoubtedly environmentally friendly. “Lawns are natural surfaces, they fix carbon in the soil and promote wildlife. They are part of what makes gardens beautiful, ”says Guy.

Real lawns still have a loyal following. Image: iStock / PA
– Photo credit: Press Association Images

“Real lawns allow invertebrates to access the ground below, so all of the things that live underground, such as worms, millipedes and millipedes, can bring goodness into the ground, aerate the soil and survive down there,” added Paul Hetherington, director , added the insect charity Buglife.

“Crane flies (dad with long legs) lay their eggs there and you will also find beetles so that birds can come down and eat on your lawn. Invertebrates are a really important part of the food chain. Once you’ve put a plastic lawn over it, you’ve basically created a desert in your yard. “

Andy admits: “Artificial turf is not a product for wildlife, it is a product for life. We very much encourage people to have planting areas as well so that they can attract wildlife. An artificial lawn that looks beautiful can encourage people to grow plants around it. “

“We’re not against natural grass – it’s a need,” he continues. “When you have a family where the lawn has gotten muddy, we are serving a need that allows people to enjoy their outdoors and get active.”

“Real lawns allow invertebrates to access the soil below so that worms can bring the good into the soil, aerate the soil and survive down there,” said Paul Hetherington, director of the insect charity Buglife. Image: iStock / PA
– Photo credit: Press Association Images

How hard is grass to grow?

Grasses cover about a quarter of our planet. “It’s the easiest plant to grow and grow naturally without over-interfering,” says David. “The use of native species – [like] curved grass and fescue – is of paramount importance. We call native grasses “luxury lawn mixes” in garden centers and seed companies. You don’t need a bowling green lawn, you can opt for a more natural look. “

What about areas that are not suitable for growing a real lawn?

“Some places like shady areas aren’t suitable for real lawns,” says Guy. “Other options are ground cover shrubs or hard pavement instead of artificial turf, which has a limited lifespan and is not always easy to dispose of.”

He adds that “it is becoming more and more common to recycle, grind and reuse concrete, slabs and pavement” when necessary.

Is artificial grass really that low-maintenance?

“Enormous amounts of water and petroleum are used to make synthetic grass,” explains David. “Your product can last about 15 years and still needs maintenance.”

“Weed seeds can grow and germinate in plastic,” he continues.

Andy admits, “You will get weeds in the air, but that’s not a problem. We recommend treating the entire lawn with a weed killer twice a year. When you get weeds, they just pull back. “

If leaves fall on the artificial grass, you can just brush them off with a plastic rake or use a lawn blower, suggests Andy. “People have even been known to use a vacuum cleaner on the lawn.”

Are artificial lawns biodegradable?

No. A lot of them end up in landfills, gardeners say, although Andy points out that there is a facility in Holland that opened this year that allows artificial turf to be 100 percent recycled. “We have to work out the logistics for this,” he admits, “whether the (artificial turf) companies pay a tariff so that we don’t impose the costs on the customers. We have to support it in the future. “

When does artificial grass make sense?

“There is a place for artificial turf that wheelchair users can use in a nursing home, for example,” David muses.

As Guy adds, “I can imagine certain situations, like on a balcony or for a disabled gardener who would otherwise not be able to enjoy his garden.”