The Major Environmental Benefits of Synthetic Grass

Posted by Sunburst Landscaping on March 1, 2017
Benefits of Artificial Turf
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As synthetic grass installers, people are always asking us about the environmental benefits of synthetic grass. Frankly, there are a lot, and getting into the scientific aspects of it are outside the scope of this article. But with synthetic grass, we’re all aware of its benefits as far as cost is concerned, but what impact does it actually have? Let’s see what some of the benefits are.

Water Conservation

Environmental Benefits of Synthetic GrassAs Arizonians, we aren’t strangers to the concept of water as a scarce resource. We all know that it’s essential for life, and that our bodies are made of it. But did you know that most American families use approximately 320 gallons of water per day? Whether it’s for cooking, cleaning, showering, watering plants or other residential vegetation, that’s a significant chunk of change. Not surprisingly, most of this water actually goes to outdoor use. Nationally, residential irrigation is upwards of one-third our aggregate water use. This means, as a country, we use almost 9 billions gallons of water per day.
One of the environmental benefits of synthetic grass is that your lawn irrigation bill is effectively cut to zero. Switching to synthetic grass almost entirely eliminates your home irrigation bill. The only water you’ll end up using for your turf is for cleaning away pet urine and feces. That’s about it. But how much water does artificial turf actually save? Well, in 2013, artificial turf saved approximately 2.5 billion gallons of water. That may not seem like much next to 9 billion gallons of water per day, but the 9 billion gallon figure also includes irrigation for our crops, livestock, and other factors. So 2.5 billion gallons a year and counting? We think it’s safe to say that artificial turf is helping out a great deal.

Decreasing pollution

polluted earth
As children, we were told to not litter and not pollute, and to take care of our planet. But it’s strangely paradoxical to think that something synthetic, like artificial turf, can actually help us decrease pollution. Unfortunately, maintaining an natural lawn is very taxing to our environment. The emissions that come out of mowers, edgers, and even from fertilizer contribute to global carbon dioxide levels. Currently, there are more than 406 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere. With this figure rising yearly, it’s definitely time to consider some paths we can take to help.Gasoline and other fossil-based fuels are expensive, and as previously described, negatively impact our environment. Obviously it takes some kind of power for a lawn mower, but artificial turf eliminates this problem entirely. The only occasional maintenance you’ll have to do is raking away the debris from time to time. This even frees you up to have time to do things you actually want to do!

Reducing chemical runoff

chemical runoffDid you know that about 60 percent of lawn maintenance chemicals are wasted, and run off into our rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans? This includes fertilizers, weed killers, and other products, and they have contaminated several large water supplies. This can be hugely detrimental to our environment. With synthetic grass, you will never have to buy or use any of these maintenance chemicals. This not only saves you money on the products, but it also has a positive impact on the environment – all from switching to artificial grass. In 2012, synthetic grass prevented nearly billions gallons of pesticides from being used!
There are even more benefits of choosing synthetic grass. At Sunburst Landscaping, we have helped many people and organizations make the switch. If you want to know more about the environmental benefits of synthetic grass, please contact us today!