Artificial turf, also known as synthetic grass, faux or fake grass, has gained popularity as an alternative to natural grass in various settings such as sports fields, residential lawns, and commercial landscapes. While turf appears to offers many conveniences, our conclusion is that artificial turf (aka Astro Turf) is not good for the environment and may have health risks for children and pets. As a company geared toward sustainability and environmental stewardship, we wanted to express our concerns and provide insight as to why we are choosing not to use artificial turf or plastic plants going forward.

Artificial turf was invented by Monsanto (ah-hem), in the 1960’s for the Houston Astrodome, due to the lack of sun in the stadium. With the rise in popularity to use artificial turf as an alternative or replacement for lawns in shady spaces, high traffic areas like parkways, areas prone to drought where water usage is a concern, muddy spots, or areas frequented by dogs, we recognize why turf seems like a convenient solution in the moment, however there are numerous concerns for the long term affects of using plastic turf and unfortunately the costs outweigh the benefits.