Artificial turf salesman Sheldon Santos (@sheldons_turf) was trying to promote plastic grass on Instagram and encountered lots of resistance.
Sheldon bragged about how his company tests every fake lawn they install so they can stand by its quality. He was quick to admit that no matter what, plastic grass will get hot in the sun. Anecdotally, one owner showed 178 degrees Fahrenheit coming from his lawn one summer. A study showed that surface temperatures of 200 degrees were possible.
Sheldon also pointed out that antimicrobial sand, included in many artificial turf products, is not pet-friendly. Many of those risky forever chemicals included in fake lawns leach into the soil.
Of course, microplastics are part and parcel with these kinds of products. These shed over time, filter into waterways, and end up in our food sources. Once ingested, microplastics introduce all sorts of endocrine, immune, and reproductive health issues.
Sheldon had one especially strong point. "You WILL get weeds if you don't maintain your yard. Mother Nature will always win," he wrote in the caption. In fact, sometimes fake lawns can be hilariously overrun by natural grass.
That being the case, instead of filling your yard with a bunch of plastic, an all-natural lawn is a much better direction. Using native plants and grass alternatives makes for minimal watering and maintenance. Beverly Hills is even looking at banning fake lawns in order to promote drought-resistant native species. While part of the appeal of synthetic turf is to avoid maintenance, all-natural pest and weed control can keep undesirables managed on a real lawn.
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Internet commenters were largely critical of the astroturf Sheldon was trying to peddle.
"I will never understand the human desire to absolutely eradicate and ruin the natural environment," said one community member. "You'll never have butterflies visit, or see bunnies in the yard. To each their own, I guess. Just hope somebody in that neighborhood is looking out for the native wildlife…"
"Ugly as f**** and stinks in the heat," said another.
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