The green nature of artificial turf

Anyone today who still associates artificial grass with an unnatural-looking and not very environmentally friendly pile of plastic is wrong. Constant developments in design, materials, and production and installation methods have ensured that the distinction from natural grass is becoming ever smaller. For example, did you know that an artificial turf system can extract CO₂ from the atmosphere?

According to Bob Slenders of EasyLawn, this is a new generation. "First of all, it focused on the natural-looking appearance, where we started to mimic the imperfect character of a classic turf by using different fiber heights, shapes and colors, but today we are also taking additional steps to further optimize the environmental friendliness of artificial turf."

Materials

That artificial turf is largely maintenance-free and requires no fertilizer or spraying is a first aspect of sustainability. However, the biggest gains can be made with the choice of materials. 

"In our products, we already consistently use a polyurethane-based backing," Slenders explains. "This contributes to the high recyclability of the product. In addition, starting in 2022, we will enter into an important collaboration with a company that specializes in recycling artificial grass. Together we will recycle our products 100%." 

The reclaimed plastic fibers will then be used to produce garden and construction products, which in turn will be incorporated into the EasyLawn range. "In other words, our customers will be able to reuse the products when installing new projects. This is how we complete the circle and take more and more steps toward a fully circular product life cycle."

CO²-reduction

By now, we all know that natural elements such as trees, plantings and grass are essential to reduce CO² from the air. One notable development today is that artificial turf can also contribute to this. "When laying artificial turf, we are increasingly using infill sand extracted from Olivine," Slenders said. "That's a special product, which can absorb up to 120% of its own weight in CO² can capture. No wonder, then, that it is gaining in popularity."

Partnership

Anyone who wants to learn more about the sustainability aspirations and initiatives of artificial turf, as well as, of course, the technical and visual possibilities, can always turn to EasyLawn as a professional. 

"We choose to support garden contractors and garden centers as best we can," Slenders emphasizes. "That means that in addition to our complete product range, short delivery times and the necessary guarantees, we are also always ready with additional interpretation and information, promotional materials, and so on. Because in addition to beautiful looking grass, a circular product and the reduction of CO²-emissions, service orientation is also one of our hobbyhorses."