Fake grass is becoming increasingly popular for keeping green spaces perfectly green. What are the environmental impacts of our love of fake grass? Could it even be affecting our health? And should we actually be giving up the idea of the perfect lawn altogether? From The Guardian, I'm Madeline Finley, and this is Science Weekly.
Installing artificial grass is becoming an increasingly popular way to achieve a neat, green lawn without much effort. But with environmental and potential health costs associated with plastic turf many campaigners and gardeners would like to see it banned. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Guardian feature writer Sam Wollaston and urban ecologist Prof Rob Francis about why people go for artificial grass, its environmental impact, and whether it’s time we rid ourselves of the idea of the perfect lawn altogether. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod