DIY Turf Blog

What is the environmental impact of artificial turf?

 

environmental impact of artificial turf

The Environmental Impact of Artificial Turf

In California, watering natural lawns in homes and businesses amounts to about seven percent of the state’s water supply. In fact, about 51 percent of the state’s water usage from families is from home lawn upkeep. This is very taxing to the state’s total water usage. If residents switched from natural lawns to artificial turf, the state’s water use be cut by almost 25 percent. Why does this matter? Simply because the state’s severe drought is causing water costs to drastically rise. As a homeowner, avoiding these heavy water costs is important. When combining this factor with the cost of living in California, it is clear that your wallet is taking heavy, unnecessary hits. This article explores not only the water savings from converting to a synthetic lawn, but also the true environmental impact of artificial turf.

The necessary amount of water for a natural lawn

artificial grass for your back yardThe amount of water necessary for maintaining an 800 square foot lawn can be more than more than 150,000 gallons per calendar year. This of course depends on the area’s climate, but California’s drought exacerbates these conditions.

One of the best solutions to this is replacing your landscape with drought-tolerant plants and synthetic lawn. This keeps maintenance costs down and allows for your home to have a less severe environmental impact.

 

How much do we really save?

A standard family with three members uses approximately 24 to 40 units of water per month. These units in California can be between $2 to $3. When converting from a synthetic lawn to an artificial turf, the water use decreases to virtually zero, which translates to zero cost for water.

What does this mean to the environment?

artificial grass putting greenIn addition to the monetary impact from water use in an area, the environmental impact is greater than just financial considerations. Because much of the state’s water is used in agriculture, some argue that it isn’t necessary to cut back on home water use.

The truth is that if water use for residential homes and agriculture isn’t strictly examined, the state’s reservoirs, aquifers, and watersheds suffer greatly. Installing a synthetic lawn can help alleviate environmental issues. It also helps eliminate the runoff of lawn maintenance chemicals, because artificial turf does not require any of these to grow. So if you’re looking for a way to save water and help the environment, look no further! Artificial turf is an excellent solution, and we have many products for any kind of application, whether it’s for putting greens, pets, or general landscaping. We hope to hear from you!