Synthetic Turf Will Contribute to Greenhouse Gas Problems
“Given that most plastic carpets are made out of polyethylene — the plastic found to release [methane and ethylene] at the highest rate — and given the high surface area occupied by this material, including each individual blade of plastic ‘grass,’ synthetic turf likely contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. I strongly urge you to consider how you can reduce these gases through policies restricting the installation of synthetic turf, as well as other synthetic surfaces, to guide consumers to make better choices and reduce plastic production everywhere we can.”
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Artificial Turf May Equal Real Litigation
“I am writing this letter as a concerned part-time resident of Martha’s Vineyard and an attorney with experience in mass tort litigation — i.e., tobacco, asbestos, and defective drugs. Sadly, what is currently unfolding within the synthetic turf industry bears striking similarities to the aforementioned mass tort catastrophes - deceptive marketing practices, industry funded junk science (aimed at misleading customers and creating doubt in the courtroom), and a focus on corporate profits over consumer health and safety.”
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Letter from the Martha's Vineyard Environmental Educators Alliance
"As they grow into adults we hope these students will keep this love for the Island close in their hearts and let it weigh heavily on the decisions they face as future community leaders. Change is inevitable. But change of any particular sort is not... In the end it is often money that rules the day. Ironic and shortsighted, when looking many years down the road, artificial turf is a costly financial choice, not to mention health and environmental one."
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School, Hospital Officials React To Large-Scale Heat Exhaustion at John Marshall
“On Thursday, dozens of band members were rushed to area hospitals after the heat became too much during band practice. Students from John Marshall High School, Sherrard and Moundsville Middle Schools were practicing at Monarch Stadium, when they were overcome with heat radiating from the turf. 10 EMS agencies from Ohio, Marshall and Belmont Counties responded and transported 37 students to area hospitals.”
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Athletic Playing Fields: Choosing Safer Options for Health and the Environment
“Artificial turf poses a number of health and environmental concerns. Those communities that have decided to install artificial turf are encouraged to make careful choices among the materials available to them... Communities should bear in mind that existing tests apply only to the sample on which they are conducted, and materials used in artificial turf may vary widely in composition. From an environmental and health standpoint, organically managed natural grass is a safer choice for sports fields. When the full product life cycle is considered, organically managed natural grass also offers lower costs over time.”
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Major New Fears Emerge Over Absence of Recycling Plan for 3G Pitches
“One individual who asked not to be named working in the recycling of 3G pitches in the UK described it as a ‘massive issue’ and said that in the next two decades the problem ‘will escalate beyond belief’. ‘Most surfaces will have to be relaid in the next 10 to 15 years and there will have to be a home for them. You cannot begin to imagine how much. You will be able to fill Wembley Stadium [with artificial turf].’
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The 100-Yard Deception
A six-month NJ Advance Media investigation found FieldTurf, the top U.S. maker of artificial sports fields, made millions selling high-end turf to taxpayers in towns and schools across N.J. and the U.S. after knowing it was falling apart.
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Letter From Vineyard Conservation Society
"Against this backdrop of growing enthusiasm for measures to reduce plastic waste, and the progress already achieved by our Island community, the possibility of replacing natural grass with one or more massive plastic carpets is particularly dissonant, and disappointing. Artificial turf, while not disposable in quite the same sense as a plastic drinking straw, is indeed a plastic waste issue."
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Benefits of Turf Grass
Sustainability maintained turf serves the environment in many ways.
Turfgrass reduces runoff, prevents erosion, replenishes air, promotes safety, regulates temperature, supports bio-remediation, sequesters carbon, and helps with noise
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2010 NFL Players Playing Surfaces Opinion Survey
Which surface do you think is more likely to contribute to injury?
Grass 15.9%
Artificial Infilled 82.4%
Which surface do you think is more likely to shorten your career?
Grass 7.6%
Artificial Infilled 89.7%
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Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research: Synthetic Turf Heat Evaluation – Progress Report January 2012
Summary: No product in this test substantially reduced surface temperature compared to the traditional system of green fibers filled with black rubber in both the indoor and outdoor test. Reductions of five or even ten degrees offer little advantage when temperatures still exceed 150° F. Until temperatures can be reduced by at least twenty or thirty degrees for an extended period of time, surface temperature will remain a major issue on synthetic turf fields.
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Letter from Mass Audubon to MVRHS Leadership
“Mass Audubon opposes the use of synthetic turf for outdoor sports and activities on the High School playing fields and believes grass playing fields are a better alternative. Grass maintains a natural temperature, reduces rain runoff, filters stormwater, and when cared for properly, is safe for people and nature.”
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How Extreme Weather Is Shrinking the Planet
“With wildfires, heat waves, and rising sea levels, large tracts of the earth are at risk of becoming uninhabitable. But the fossil-fuel industry continues its assault on the facts.”
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Artificial Turf: A Health-Based Consumer Guide
Tips for Safer Play on Artificial Turf Surfaces
Avoid use on very hot days
Avoid use for passive activities (i.e. sitting, lounging, picnicking)
Monitor young children to prevent accidental ingestion
Always wear shoes on artificial turf
Wash hands before eating, drinking, or adjusting mouth guard
Clean cuts and abrasions immediately
Brush hair thoroughly after play
Remove and clean shoes and gear outside before getting in car
Shower immediately after playing on artificial turf
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Synturf.org – Citizen Information and Advocacy Website
“This site is a US-based worldwide forum dedicated to information regarding the environmental and health risks associated with artificial/synthetic turf fields.”
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Plastic Fibres Found in Tap Water Around The World, Study Reveals
Tests show billions of people globally are drinking water contaminated by plastic particles, with 83% of samples found to be polluted… The US had the highest contamination rate, at 94%, with plastic fibres found in tap water sampled at sites including Congress buildings, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters, and Trump Tower in New York.
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Safe Healthy Playing Fields Coalition
This website — and associated Facebook page — are great starting points for anyone seeking to learn more about the issues associated with plastic fields.
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