To spread awareness of the toxicity of plastic grass?

[DataNotLore]

Here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35948114/#:~:text=Numerous%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,%2C%20mutagens%2C%20and%20endocrine%20disruptors.

Not only is it bad for the environment but it's probably bad for your health too.

The issues are still being investigated, but:

"Numerous studies have shown that chemicals identified in artificial turf, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are known carcinogens, neurotoxicants, mutagens, and endocrine disruptors."

You had choices that aren't grass or plastic. You didn't "just have no choice".

It's awful in every way. It should be banned.

We had a very small amount of it in our last house for the same reasons nurseries have it - lots of trees, lots of shade, grass simply does not grow and you just end up with a mud patch instead. I knew it wasn't great for the environment but it wasn't replacing anything better (except for worms, presumably they were having a great time).

Now we have moved we've got actual grass which is much better. Also a robot lawnmower so it is not even any more effort 😁

Anyone has had success with clover lawns in a garden where lawn failed to thrive?

Do any of these people on this thread have laminate flooring, just as ghastly especially as it looks like fake wood

We are surround by trees with TPOs on them - some owed by us but most on a woodland area adjacent to our house. We spent thousands trying to grow grass in a fully shaded area - extra drainage, expensive seed, expensive turf and after about 10 years of living with a mud bath that the kids couldn't use we gave in and got astro-turf. We are lucky to have a fairly large garden and this is an area of the garden that the neighbours can't see, so no lowering the tone! We've also planted lots of shade loving plants and have a wild garden in the one sunny spot with lots of bee friendly wild flowers. I love a proper lawn but it wasn't going to happen at this house.

No, but not quite the same in terms of negative effects on the local environment

Well that must be true then 😂

I've never cleaned or hoovered my artificial grass. That's what rain is for. No idea why the heck anyone would hoover it

I am sure you know how google works but I found relevant studies if you want to read more about it. There’s plenty more similar studies to access.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/chrysene

https://www.ilo.org/dyn/icsc/showcard.display?p_lang=en&p_card_id=1672&p_version=2

https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Artifical%20Turf%20Fact%20Sheet%20addendum.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275581397_Release_of_Polycyclic_Aromatic_Hydrocarbons_and_Heavy_Metals_from_Rubber_Crump_in_Synthetic_Turf_Fields_Preliminary_Assessment_for_Athletes

Risks are everywhere, you need to assess then properly. My children playing on grass at a park and landing in dog poo is a risk. Or falling on broken glass at the park, another risk.
Vs

my children playing in my garden for an hour that has fake grass that theorectically may give off toxins that when injected into animals in a research setting in high doses increases the risk of cancer. Risk? Yes, possibly.

going in my car with them- risk. Walking with them - risk (dangerous/drink drivers, possibly running on the road).

you can’t elimate risk, you just have to manage them. For me, the benefits on being able to play outside in safety (and yes, not coming into the house every 10 mins covered in mud) outweighs the down sides of my fake grass.

Love this 😂

Just because people may have one bit of fake grass does not mean they don’t have pots of flowers or built up beds or trees as well ?

have one small area of fake grass and all the rest is plants and trees . we have plenty of insects and birds thank you very much .

I bet half of you don’t know the toxity of what they spray on your furniture to make it stay clean either ( I do because my other half had an allergic reaction ) , or cheap paints .

Cobblers 😅

So many of the little front gardens in my area have been lost to tarmac parking spaces. Our Road now floods if we have heavy rain with nothing to soak it up.

I think your neighbours would probably prefer that you didn’t mow (it’s no mow May anyway) and had buttercups, daisies, waving grass heads.
Astroturf is horrible to look at, and part of the destruction of our planet.

I don't like the look of artificial grass but I don't understand the outrage over it. You don't have the same outrage over paved gardens or decking. There are carcinogens in all sorts of products. Saying something has carcinogens is meaningless.

Asbestos is an interesting comparison. A very quick google suggests there are at least 1.5 million homes with asbestos in them. It's not a problem if it's left in situ and doesn't become damaged.

Another example of something 'bad' that we live with is lead pipes supplying our drinking water. Another quick google suggests nearly 9 million homes in England and Wales have lead pipes?

So why the outrage and horror over something that probably won't effect too many people? Is it because it's actually a major health risk or is it because it's a trendy thing to be outraged over?

I'm playing devils advocate here as I don't have the knowledge to understand the data on these types of issues but I suspect the OP doesn't either.

Some of us are also careful about household cleaning products, and paints.

This thread is so judgy . Instead of just perhaps posting some interesting information that people might not know you launch into stop oil territory where people will just turn off because of the way you put things across . Very strange .

Good for you .

My neighbours have recently had plastic 'grass' put in their garden.

Not sure what's going to happen when the weather gets really hot and the children can't play on it and the dog can't walk on it.

So should I pull it Up and put in landfill? Genuine question . Was here when we bought the house .

Unfortunate adverts on this thread!

I see this a lot. We have "plastic grass" and it has never, ever got too hot to walk on.

We also haven't hoovered it, washed it (the rain does that) or sprinkled cleaning products on it.

We tried a clover lawn and it died. Everything died in our terrible soil and builders rubble that was left from our 1990s built house. We had a mud pit of a garden that was unusable. I would prefer my child to be out playing in the fresh air than being inside not able to play out. She plays out all the time now, even in winter as it's usable all year round.

I wasn't aware that it's toxic.
I don't have any but I can see its appeal - you don't have to mow it for a start. Also it can be used for small areas where grass won't grow properly.

Nobody is still putting asbestos into houses though. The problem comes from decades ago when the dangers weren’t clearly known. It was put into filler, artex, sheeting . It isn’t a problem if left alone as there are no fumes from it, the issue is with the fibres themselves.
I don’t understand how anyone thinks that replacing the plants in their garden with plastic is a good idea on any level. Aesthetically, environmentally, for health, biodiversity…it is terrible for all those things.