Why Synthetic Turf?

Why communities and families across the globe are choosing synthetic turf

Synthetic turf provides a greener alternative to natural grass, providing increased access, environmental benefits, and cost savings for communities. The STC aims to help communities maximize their resources, and synthetic turf provides an opportunity to do just that.

Consider turf

What is synthetic turf?

The latest generation of synthetic turf replicates natural grass in appearance and function.

Sports Fields - When used on athletic fields, it provides a consistent year-round, all-weather playing surface built for extended use without requiring downtime for recovery.

Landscape - As a landscape cover, synthetic turf provides a low maintenance, weed-free surface that doesn't need to be watered or fertilized, and is available in styles that look like the local grass types.

Why choose synthetic turf?

There are significant advantages to using synthetic turf, which is why schools, families, and communities across the nation are choosing it.

Synthetic turf systems expand access to sport and recreation year round, is environmentally friendly, brings down costs, and is built to last.

Expands Access

Usable in rain or shine: Synthetic turf allows athletes to practice and children to play year-round, even in inclement weather conditions. In contrast, a grass field simply cannot remain usable after three or four days of use a week, in the rain, or during the months when grass doesn't grow.
Provides multi-use opportunities: Synthetic turf fields provide a space for multi-purpose competition , allowing multiple sports to be played on a single field.
Increases access for all communities: Synthetic turf expands access for all communities, including underserved areas where resources for athletic and play fields are limited.

Environmentally Friendly

Saves water: Synthetic turf sports fields can save millions gallons of water each year depending on local climate and usage. Based on a 2024 report by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, a multi-field synthetic turf sports field uses 0 gallons of water per year as compared to up to 2.7 million gallons of water used for a grass field. Also, valley high schools in Henderson, NV estimate about 2 million gallons of water saved for each grass field converted to synthetic turf, and “that's just going to further contribute to the water efficiency that we have seen in our communities," stated Bronson Mack from the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Reduces the need for toxic chemicals: With runoff of toxic pesticides and fertilizers as a principal cause of water pollution, synthetic turf eliminates the need for harmful pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and herbicides which are used to maintain grass.
Uses recycled rubber infill: The use of synthetic turf with crumb rubber infill keeps 105 million tires out of landfills each year.

Lowers costs

Less expensive: Though costs vary depending on yard size and region, over time, artificial turf is definitively less expensive than natural grass landscaping.
Brings costs down: According to one study, the usage rate is significantly higher and cost per event is materially less for synthetic turf fields compared to natural grass. This study shows that the average cost of 40 events per year on natural grass will run $1,362.50, while the average cost of 1,000 events per year for synthetic turf totals just $3.85.

Built to last

Stands the test of time: Synthetic turf sports fields are known for their durability and long lifespans; they can endure more than 500 event hours without repairs. In contrast, natural grass fields can only endure 100 event hours before needing repairs.

Definitive Research

Science is an important focus for our industry. That's why we actively collect and rely on independent research and studies from third-party organizations about synthetic turf and its system components:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found no significant difference in the exposure from certain chemicals found between players who played on synthetic turf fields that use crumb rubber infill and those who played on grass fields.
Netherlands National Institute for Health and Environment wrote that the “risk to health from playing sports on these synthetic turf fields is virtually negligible.”
European Chemicals Agency found “no reason to advise people against playing sports on synthetic turf containing recycled rubber granules as infill material.”
National Toxicology Program found there “was no evidence of toxicity in mice from ingestion of crumb rubber.”
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment's draft study found no significant health risks to players, coaches, referees, or spectators from exposure to chemicals in crumb rubber infill on synthetic turf fields, based on their assessment and available data.

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