Santa Clara County, California, is debating a ban on artificial turf on county-owned land, NBC Bay Area reported.
Artificial turf is an alternative to grass made from plastic fibers, usually laid over an infill called "crumb rubber" made from recycled tires. Fans of this material promote it as a low-maintenance and evergreen alternative to grass, especially in drought-prone regions such as California.
However, there are huge problems with this material. It's full of harmful chemicals that affect both the people on the turf and the land under and around it. It sheds unbelievable amounts of rubber particles and fake grass fibers, which end up making a huge mess and polluting local waters.
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Fake turf doesn't even provide many of the maintenance benefits it claims. It doesn't have to be mowed, but it does have to be cleaned or vacuumed to remove debris such as leaves that would decay into the soil on a normal lawn. It doesn't need water to grow, but it does need water to cool, as plastic gets much hotter than grass. And if any animals have access to it, watch out — you can end up with huge messes and permanent odors from pet excrement.
In Santa Clara County, opponents of artificial turf pointed out a recent incident with the field at Saratoga High School. The artificial turf field had worn out and needed to be replaced, as is generally the case every eight to 10 years. The school district hired TurfCycle USA to "recycle" the used turf into new fields for "general landscaping, batting cages, gym flooring, cross-fit, sport related ground coverings and erosion control," according to district records.
However, a group of parents and activists followed some of the trucks carrying the used turf and found it was illegally deposited in a field many miles from TurfCycle's facility.
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There's also a shortage of other recycling options for artificial turf. Once it's worn out, it will almost certainly end up in a landfill.
"There's no good answer for the disposal of artificial turf," said Cindy Russell, the co-chair of the Environmental Health Committee for the Santa Clara County Medical Association, per NBC Bay Area. "The problem with artificial turf is that it's plastic and chemicals. Once you create it, then you have it for a lifetime."
Synthetic turf supporters in Santa Clara County argue that the material is needed to provide outdoor recreation spaces for kids and adults. But given the potential health effects of playing on such fields, the public is better off without them.
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