DIY Turf Blog

Natural Grass Lawns are Not So Natural

 

With the Go Green movement really taking stride, it is very important to do everything you can to do your part as well. When updating your home to be more environmental friendly it is very important to consider your lawn. Many of Americans do not realize how many chemicals they are putting into their lawns to make it greener; natural lawns are no longer very natural. Now that spring is creeping up on us it is time to update your lawn, help the environment and give yourself a yard you can enjoy. Below I have listed several reasons why installing a synthetic turf lawn will make your home more “Green.”

Five Facts How Natural Lawns are Bad for the Environment

1. Air Pollution

All the tools you use in order to maintain your natural lawn are the cause of some of the reasons we have high levels of air pollution. The simple use of your lawn mower has been known to emit very high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides. In metropolitan areas, using lawn equipment accounts for 5% of air pollution.

2. Pesticides

It is commonly known and backed by scientific evidence that pesticides are not good for the environment. There are an estimated 7 Million pounds of pesticides used on lawns in the United States each year. Per acre, that is more than ten times the amount that is applied to agricultural crops.

3. Fertilizers

Not many people consider fertilizers to be harmful to the environment, but when really examined it is found that 40%-60% of the nitrogen found in groundwater, rivers, lakes and other forms of water is coming from the fertilizer we are putting on our lawns.

4. Gas Consumption

It has been estimated that there are roughly 54 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend. That means Americans use 800 million gallons of gas a year to mow lawns.

5. Gas Spilled

According to the United States Environmental Protection, there are approximately 17 millions of gallons of gas spilled, yes – spilled on the ground – just in our attempts to fill up lawn care equipment. There are many other ways that a natural lawn is harmful to the environment but these are some of the most important you should know! We hope this post helps to demonstrate how a synthetic lawn will help make your property more environmental friendly.