It’s finally here, our eco-friendly artificial grass… EcoGrass! Its is an artificial grass made from 80% of recycled materials which is then 100% recyclable. Making this the most environmentally friendly artificial grass in our range. But, before we get into that, let’s get up to date with the artificial grass industry.
Brief History into the Development of Artificial Grass…
Artificial grass has come a long way since it was first made back in the 1960s! What was once used primarily for sports grounds, has been repurposed to be used in all kinds of ways; children’s playgrounds, city spaces and even our own backyards… What we’re trying to say is artificial grass has come a long way, let’s take a little look…
- 1964 – Astroturf is first installed in Astrodome; is the world’s first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium. It’s a huge hit and had sport fanatics going crazy over the development this would mean for indoor championships and more.
- 1970’s – Astroturf and similar surfaces are taking America by storm! They are being used in both indoor and outdoor stadiums, primarily for baseball and football.
- 1990’s – The use of artificial grass moves from sports to residential… Although there is still a bit of scepticism using them for landscaping purposes.
Since then, artificial grass has taken leaps and bounds in its development, being used far more by the general public. However, people have remained a little reserved about whether or not to invest in artificial lawns with the primary reason being that they are artificial, and therefore they can’t be as good for us as a natural lawn might be. We get it – why install artificial grass and get in the way of mother nature? Can artificial grass be recycled? Is artificial grass environment friendly?
The Pros and Cons of Artificial Grass
With the current climate crisis, we get how important it is to make sure you’re doing your bit – and to do what’s best for your garden! It can feel overwhelming sometimes knowing what the right thing to do is. Artificial grass has its pros and cons to whether or not it is environmentally friendly, but at the same time, so does its natural counterpart. We won’t lie to you, artificial grass has not always been eco-friendly, but it does come with environmental benefits that sometimes go unnoticed…
Pros of artificial grass…
- While artificial grass does not change CO2 into oxygen for us, it does reduce harmful emissions in other ways. Natural lawns require a lot of maintenance equipment to keep real grass healthy and beautiful – lawn mowers, strimmers, scarifiers, etc. — and all of them use fuels like petrol and diesel. It’s thought that powered garden tools produce as much to 8% of our contribution to global warming, and using a petrol lawn mower for an hour is the equivalent of driving for up to 4 hours! So, while your artificial lawn may not produce that sweet sweet oxygen, it will offer respite from other types of emissions.
- Artificial grass doesn’t need any additional chemicals (weedkillers, pesticides, fertilisers and herbicides) to keep it growing and green, meaning it will never be toxic.
- Artificial grass doesn’t need watering! Natural lawns require a lot of water to keep them thriving all year round, artificial lawns don’t! By making the switch, you could end up preserving the vast amount of water needed to keep your lawn green.
Cons of artificial grass…
- It’s a plastic product and if there’s one thing we know, plastic isn’t great. These materials are built to last, potentially for centuries making it a bit of a worry.
- It’s not 100% carbon emission free… Manufacturing leads to carbon emissions and sometimes natural resources are also used. It’s also worth noting that a lot of fake grass is made overseas, so it travels a fair distance before it gets to your home which ultimately uses fossil fuels.
- One of the big environmental issues with artificial grass is that it is not recyclable… and while that may be true for some types of artificial lawns, it is not the case for all of them. The big issue is that traditional methods used to bind the artificial grass like latex and P.U. backing. These aren’t recyclable even though the grass strands are, meaning the turf is very rarely recycled as it takes so much time to separate.
What it boils down to is how much you tend to your lawn in order to keep it looking lush… if the answer is “yeah, I tend to it quite a bit actually” then it may be the case that investing in an artificial lawn could help reduce your carbon footprint.
Introducing EcoGrass, 100% Recyclable, Eco-Friendly Artificial Grass
This is the next step in the future of artificial grass, creating a turf that is totally recyclable! While artificial grass isn’t exactly carbon neutral, it is beneficial to helping you reduce your carbon footprint in other ways… as we mention above. So, if you love your garden and the environment, then do we have the answer to your prayers… EcoGrass! It saves on garden maintenance and is designed with our planet at the forefront!
Let us tell you, EcoGrass is a gamechanger! Unlike traditional methods, EcoGrass uses a unique type of binding that allows for the turf to be completely recyclable. It is also made out of 80% recycled materials (the extra 20% is just to make sure we achieve the right colour). This means we’ve been able to create an artificial grass that is sustainable, without having to skimp on the quality of the product. It looks great, the lifetime of the grass isn’t diminished, and once it has it won’t leave a trace! So not only will you be saving on water, electricity and fertiliser emissions, you will also have a product that won’t end up in landfill – saving our planet even more!
Contact our team to find out more, keep the panet in mind when thinking about your garden transformation.
