A homeowner drew a quick rebuke from Reddit after asking about the possibility of laying artificial turf in their yard. 

Posting in the r/landscaping subreddit, the poster shared that they have a small patch of dirt around the outside of their patio in their backyard that they want to put artificial turf down on. 

"It's small and only about 65 sq. ft. I believe," they said. "I have reached out to a couple places and most have [minimums] of 300 sq ft or $1800. Am I SOL?" 

The problem with this poster is that artificial turf is incredibly harmful to both the environment and the people who use the yard. For starters, even high-end artificial turf can leach forever chemicals, or PFAS (short for per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances), into the soil and the atmosphere around it. 

In fact, a 2024 study showed that athletes who played on artificial turf had a higher level of PFAS in their systems after playing on it. While it's not clear the full impact PFAS can have on soil, the chemicals don't break down over time, meaning the risk associated with them remains for generations. 

If that weren't enough, the turf itself won't break down into its base elements, but it will start to degrade and break apart into smaller and smaller bits of plastic, eventually becoming microplastic that will further pollute the soil. Those microplastics have been found to hinder crop growth, so if the poster ever changes his mind and decides to plant things in that space, he'll have a tougher time doing so.  

A better plan would have been to rewild or plant a more natural lawn in that space. 

Commenters were quick to point out the error in the poster's plan. 

"Not worth it," one said. "Plant some natives or DIY." 

"Artificial turf is made of plastic, and when the Sun heats it up, it'll just leech microplastics into the ground," said another. "Just plant some natives in that space and provide some small ecological benefit for pollinators."

"Put in rock or bark or something," said a third. "Artificial turf is pure trash." 

If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Making it look better 🌱 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰 Helping pollinators 🐝 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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