Please exclude artifical (plastic + forever chemicals) for ground cover.

Artifical turf contains a class of chemicals called PFAS.

  • The F stands for fluorine. Fluorine atoms combine with carbon atoms in the polyethylene grass blades to create chemicals known to be harmful to humans.
  • The CDC found PFAS chemicals in the blood 97% of Americans and in mother’s milk.

Negative health effects from PFAS chemicals (National Institutes of Health).

Epidemiological studies have revealed associations between exposure to specific PFAS and a variety of health effects, including:

  • Liver disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Cancer
  • Lipid and insulin dysregulation
  • Adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes
  • Altered immune and thyroid function.

Artificial Turf is considered a hardscape.

  • Rainwater runs off and the biome in the soil beneath it dies.
  • Does not sequester carbon like natural grass – rather emits CO2 and methane.
  • Plastic ‘blades’ degrade into microplastics and nanoplastics that infiltrate sources of drinking water and leach toxic chemicals used to make the Artificial Turf.  Also, they are washed into waterways and oceans where they can be consumed by aquatic life thinking its food.

Emits climate warming gases methane and ethylene and is much hotter than the ambient air around it causing a “heat island” effect.

Artificial turf is polyethylene plus PFAS and fire retardants. It cannot be recycled as plastic and ends up in landfill, burned or simply dumped.