Going Green. Eco-friendly. Environmentally safe. Common phrases heard over and over in these turbulent times. Suddenly the push for a clean, sustainable future has by far eclipsed the economy as the number one concern in the western world. At the same time there is an alarming trend towards NIMBYism (not in my back yard) that has taken hold in certain sectors. The recent spate of negative media coverage concerning crumb rubber infill and high lead levels in artificial/synthetic turf is a prime example. Suddenly & without warning one of the greatest advances in ecological technology was vilified, tried and convicted --- prior to the benefit of a fair hearing.

 

With everything we do in our day-to-day lives concern for a safe and healthy environment must always be of paramount importance. Certainly no one would ever imply anything different when the topic is an artificial grass playing surface. Recent press releases by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission & the New York State Department of Health seem to have confirmed that properly manufactured synthetic turf surfaces are a safe and sizeable contributor to an eco-friendly life style. These announcements have at least partially allowed all stakeholders to re-focus on the facts concerning the benefits of synthetic grass. As an example, recent major media publications have dealt with the nation’s concern about obesity amongst our children today. At the same time a growing population continues to put extreme pressures on the facilities within our school system. So while educators extol the health virtues of exercise for youth, natural turf surfaces simply can’t provide the 24/7 playability of synthetic turf. Another example is the potential to recycle the field at its end-of-life. New EPA-approved clean burning technology now allows worn-out artificial turf fields to be wholly consumed as fuel in certain plants, providing a truly “womb to tomb” environmentally sustainable solution.

 

Today, America’s obsession with everything sports-related drives a multi-billion dollar industry ever forward. Yet with record fuel prices wreaking havoc on personal, public, and corporate budgets everywhere it is tough to ignore the pockets of hypocrisy that appear in various segments of today’s populace.   On the one hand there are knee-jerk reactions to such issues as crumb rubber infill & lead content in artificial turf. On the other hand there is the ever-present issue of chemicals and pesticides applied to natural turf fields – and the millions of gallons of precious water used annually to feed them. 

 

While the CPSC & and NYS bulletins seem to have put at least some of the synthetic turf issues to rest, there are still some special interest groups who need convincing. Again – numerous studies and testing of crumb rubber infill have been done, and more are underway; however, initial results already show that children and athletes would need to literally consume many pounds of turf & infill to gain serious exposure to toxic elements. In future, it is to be hoped that such data will encourage more rational rather than hysterical thinking.

 

So, how do we really save the environment? Here in the early part of the 21^st century some would say that we are truly killing ourselves with convenience. If true then humanity needs to re-balance itself with nature – and fast. Are we then truly “going green” with a synthetic turf surface? When it’s properly manufactured and maintained the simple answer is yes. As the baby-boom generation retires to warmer climes in the southwest & southeast the strain on the finite water supply is already reaching extreme levels. We need to save the water resources for farms, not sport fields.   When considering all the factors, one need is real: let’s keep an open mind about synthetic turf.

 

Lew Shrubsole is the Manager of Supply and Logistics for Target Technologies International Inc., based in Vancouver, Canada. Visit www.ttiionline.com for more information.