In a recent Instagram Reel, sustainability advocate Sophia Esperanza (@sophiaesperanza) shared the sobering reality behind a popular landscaping shortcut — and the thousands of square feet of damage it can cause.
The video, which has drawn thousands of views and a wave of emotional responses, documents Esperanza and her partner painstakingly removing rolls of buried landscaping fabric from their new property.
"We just removed 4,500 sq feet of landscape plastic tarp from our yard!" said the original author of the post. "We did the math and it constituted 15% of our backyard."
As the couple uncovers plastic sheet after plastic sheet, viewers get a close-up look at just how invasive and ineffective landscaping fabric can be.
While it's often marketed as a low-maintenance weed barrier, in reality, it traps organic debris and moisture, making future cleanup a nightmare — especially when layered under gravel or mulch.
Beyond the mess, using synthetic fabric can hurt long-term yard health by restricting water flow, hindering plant roots, and damaging soil ecosystems. Instead, experts recommend natural alternatives like mulch, ground cover, or — even better — replacing lawns altogether with native plants.
Native plant lawns don't just look beautiful — they also save homeowners time, money, and water. Options like clover, buffalo grass, or xeriscaping require minimal upkeep and dramatically lower water bills. Even a partial lawn replacement can allow homeowners to enjoy these benefits. Installing native plants also creates a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, which helps protect our food supply.
Other Instagrammers echoed Esperanza's point. "Let the land breathe," one user said, building on the message in the post.
"I feel so trapped in the modern reality," another said. "Plastic is absolutely everywhere and it's so hard to give up on it completely, but we are doing small steps each day."
"May we continue to look at our lives and ask if there's a better way to do everything. Because often, there is," said the author of the post.
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Esperanza's message resonates loud and clear: It's time to rethink what a "well-kept" yard really looks like.
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