The Environmental Impacts of Artificial Grass

5min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Rob Francis is a professor of urban ecology and society at King's College London. He says fake grass can be a help if you do want that evergreen lawn look. But it's not the garden panacea it's often sold as, he adds. And with climate change, we're moving towards very hot, dry summers - this could become an issue for people living near cities.

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. In this episode from April 2023, 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