Having a fake plastic lawn should be considered ‘as bad as blowing smoke in a baby’s face’ for the environmental damage they cause, gardening groups say
- Laying AstroTurf should be considered a ‘crime against nature’, gardeners say
- Read more: Powerful photo of a homeless man sleeping in the grass in Australia
Having a fake plastic lawn should be as socially unacceptable as blowing cigarette smoke in a baby’s face, Britain’s leading gardening groups have insisted.
They argue that laying products such as AstroTurf – originally an all-weather sports surface – should be considered a crime against nature for the ‘extreme environmental damage’ they are causing.
One in ten British households have replaced their garden’s lawn with artificial grass, but Lynne Marcus, of the Society of Garden Designers, said: ‘We want to get through to people who are thinking of putting in artificial grass that it’s as serious as not wearing a seatbelt or blowing smoke in your baby’s face.
‘I find it remarkable that people think it’s not OK to get a plastic bag, but it’s OK to cover your whole garden with plastic sheeting, which is what you’re effectively doing – and destroying 1,000 years of topsoil to do it.’
Her group is joining forces with the Royal Horticultural Society and the Landscape Institute to launch a ‘Say No To Plastic Grass And Plants’ campaign to turn the tide.
The organisations say they also want to debunk myths about plastic grass, warning that it is not easier to maintain than real lawns
One in ten British households have replaced their garden’s lawn with artificial grass and it is used in sports pitches across the country
Ms Marcus added: ‘We have to stop this because it’s destroying our country. It’s destroying lots of countries, but we can do something about this one.
‘And now is the time to move on because the public is beginning to feel so much more protective about our wildlife.’
However she admits some clients still insist on artificial turf. ‘We need to get people to stop asking for it. All I can do is do my best to try to persuade them that this is just not a good idea.’
According to Google Trends, which tracks online searches, interest in artificial lawns surged 185 per cent during the pandemic. Dr Mark Gush, of the RHS, backed Housing Secretary Michael Gove’s idea to ban plastic grass in new developments, and urged him to make it law.
He said: ‘It would be a really good step as there’s so many negative aspects of plastic grass.’
These include plastic pollution, creation of more greenhouse gases during manufacture and the risk that synthetic materials will leech into the earth.
The organisations say they also want to debunk myths about plastic grass, warning that it is not easier to maintain than real lawns as it needs to be regularly cleaned and vacuumed, and can become smelly, especially in gardens with pets.
Ripping out real grass destroys the habitats on which wildlife depend, they say, as turf contains ‘a vast ecosystem of organisms… helping both the food chain and biodiversity’.
TV presenter and wildlife campaigner Michaela Strachan has also urged homeowners to keep real grass, saying: ‘Many people don’t realise that by swapping our lawn and bedding plants for artificial grass and shrubs we’re destroying vital habitats and sources of food for our local wildlife ecosystems.’
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