Artificial grass lawns offer a lush, beautiful, low-maintenance alternative to natural grass.
What some people don’t realize is that artificial grass lawns are also a responsible landscaping option, with many numerous benefits to the environment such as water conservation, chemical-free maintenance, and recycling. Water conservation and extreme weather conditions are growing to become more of a concern.
The environmental drawbacks of genuine lawns are easy enough to tally:
• They’re thirsty, of course—the average American lawn gulps down 21,600 gallons of water per year. The Synthetic Turf Council estimates that the use of artificial grass lawns have resulted in the conservation of between three to six billion gallons of water in 2010. In addition to saving money on water bills, some cities offer rebates and credits for residents who install artificial synthetic grass as a water-saving landscaping alternative.
• Gas-powered mowers are hazardous to more than just eardrums. A 2001 study by Sweden’s Stockholm University found that an hour’s worth of mowing resulted in the same amount of smog-forming emissions as driving a car 93 miles.
• It’s frequently drizzled with fertilizer, most of which is synthetic. American homeowners use about 3 million metric tons of synthetic lawn fertilizer per year.
• We also use 70 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides on our lawns every year.
• Clippings that are improperly disposed of can end up polluting major waterways.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Watering the lawn, feeding it, covering it with weed-killer and mowing it is pretty close to offsetting the impact of manufacturing fake grass – and as water is sometimes scarce, artificial grass lawns can be environmentally friendly.
Whichever lawn type you choose, you should commit to managing it responsibly. If you want to minimize your water and fertilizer use by going the fake route, make sure you purchase a quality product that won’t have to be replaced for a decade or more.
Is It Time to Consider Artificial Grass Lawns?
I think so. Now that you know all the benefits of artificial grass lawns in Colorado, give us a call for a free quote (719) 963-6267 or (720) 221-3606.