When you hire a landscaping company to work on your yard, you expect them to know what they're doing — it's why you hired someone in the first place instead of just winging it.
So when TikToker nativeplants4life (@nativeplants4life) discovered what a landscaping company did to her friend's yard, she posted a PSA to all landscapers and homeowners, saying, "Don't do this!"
"When my friend got her grass redone … they put down this horrible plastic netting, and they told her it would decompose," she explains in the video. "I cannot begin to explain how ridiculous it is to tell someone that the plastic will decompose as if it were a banana peel. It's going to degrade into a lot of little microplastics."
@nativeplants4life #garden #gardening #gardentok #gardens #gardening101 #plastic #plasticwaste #microplastics #microplastic #gardenproject #planttips #gardeninghacks #planttiktok #planttok #yard #backyard #landscaper #landscaping #landscape #landscapedesign #landscapersoftiktok #plantnative #nativeplant #nativeplants #nativeplanttok #ecology #eco #wildlife #conservation #habitat #ecosystem #environment #nature #plants #habitat #plant #ecotok #environment #ecoactivist #environmentalactivist #plasticpollution ♬ original sound - nativeplants4life
The native plant enthusiast ended the video with a stern warning: "Landscapers: Don't do this! People who own houses: Be aware of this!"
Plastic netting is a "nightmare" for homeowners, gardeners, and wildlife. Other than the obvious problem of microplastics sprinkled throughout every inch of your yard, plastic nettings can harm wildlife. It frequently entangles and kills snakes, birds, and any animal that likes to burrow.
It can also make yard work a hassle as it can turn an easy gardening task into a ton of work and get stuck in equipment like lawnmowers and weed whackers.
The netting is used in sod turf and erosion control blankets, so if you're buying sod, check with the company to make sure they don't use plastic netting. Many lawn professionals suggest avoiding turf and just planting seeds.
There are all-natural options for erosion control blankets that use materials like coconut fiber, straw, and wood excelsior, among others.
People shared their frustrations with plastic netting in the comments.
"Can confirm that it never goes away. Still digging this out of my yard from sod that was laid almost 30 years ago. it's FULLY intact still," one person wrote.
"The house we bought had those when we moved in. They did not decompose. They sat there for years until my mom and I ripped them up," said another.
Another person suggested an even better option: "Let's go further back— don't get your grass redone, don't have a lawn."
They have a good point. Instead of a grass lawn, just fill your yard with native plants. Native lawns require less water, maintenance, and expensive things like erosion blankets and fertilizer. Rewilding your yard is better for your wallet, your yard, and the environment — especially vital pollinators.
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