The Green Acres Program is spending money on environmentally damaging and toxic artificial turf. This money should be spent on preservation and environmentally responsible recreation instead.
A regular-sized artificial turf field contains 500,000 lbs of plastic, which results in the shedding of microplastic into the environment. The infill that keeps the field’s plastic blades in place typically measures 0.5-0.3 millimeters in size, therefore meeting the technical definition of microplastics in the European Union. The plastic blades are not physically bound by the turf and scatter into the surrounding environment. A European Commission report in 2018 estimated that 1 to 4 percent of field infill needs to be replaced yearly due to migrating off-site or compacting. The turf blades degrade and are lost to the air, water, and soil.
A synthetic turf field lasts 8 to 10 years on average. Thousands of pounds of infill and plastic carpet must be removed and replaced at disposal. For the current 30,000 playing fields in the US, that is an estimated 12 trillion pounds of infill and 1.2 billion pounds of plastic carpet. Mixed plastic waste, such as synthetic turf, is not recyclable using conventional methods. Therefore, they are typically sent to landfills, where they will remain for centuries. Sometimes, turf is improperly dumped outside of landfills.
Synthetic turf components contain and leach harmful chemicals. Synthetic turf blades and infill materials are made of complex mixtures of chemicals, including many known to be harmful to human health and the environment. Underlayer and plastic grass blades are made of polyethylene, and to date, all tests of installed turf detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Manufacturers use PFAS as an extrusion aid to prevent plastic yarn from sticking to the machinery. PFAS chemicals are linked to various health problems and concerning concentrations have been measured in surface water samples collected near synthetic turf fields.
Infill material is typically made of ground-up vehicle tires, known as “tire crumb.” Among other concerns, tires include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead, and an antioxidant known as 6-ppd, which its end product in the atmosphere has been shown to have ecotoxic effects and impact salmon populations,. Alternative infill materials include EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer), shoe material, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), acrylic-coated sand, and mineral or plant-based materials. Mineral and plant-based materials are considered the safest.
On a warm day, synthetic turf radiates more heat than a plant-based surface, leading to extreme temperatures and contributing to heat island effect. The elevated surface temperatures of artificial turf fields have been shown to contribute to heat-related illness. One study found football players are eleven times more likely to suffer a heat-related illness playing on synthetic turf. Consequently, climate change will exacerbate exercise-related heat stresses for athletes and people playing on artificial turf.
Additionally, there are significant land use impacts when open space and natural grass playing fields are converted into artificial turf. Loss of wildlife and natural habitat, increased impervious cover, and increased flooding are just a few.
Artificial grass typically costs $450k to $1.5 M for an official-sized athletic field. The maintenance and fertilizer costs may be higher with natural grass, but you must replace these artificial turf fields every 8-10 years. So, over the long term, natural grass is less expensive and better for the environment.
Many residents across the state are fighting artificial turf projects in their towns. An example is Cape May moving towards an ordinance to ban artificial turf in the city.
New Jersey must invest in safe, non-toxic, natural play surfaces on sports fields and playgrounds. This is why it is imperative that the Green Acres Program should be awarding municipalities that want to invest in safe and eco-friendly recreation money, not for artificial turf.
We urge you to call on the New Jersey Legislature, Governor Murphy and the NJDEP to stop spending Green Acres Money on Artificial Turf!
