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Plastic Free Delaware
  • HOME
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    • MISSION & HISTORY
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    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • IN THE NEWS
  • SINGLE USE PLASTICS
    • SINGLE USE PLASTICS
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Learn more about artificial turf

What's the true cost of synthetic turf?

When you think about it, the whole concept of making grass from plastic is crazy. It causes so much pollution and leads to so many problems.  Might as well cut down the forests too so we can replace all the trees with plastic ones.  Longwood Gardens could have plastic blooms year-round.  Who needs nature!

In fact, let's just make everything from fossil fuels, and dump it all every ten years. No worries that it will make us all sicker, since it will probably affect our brains too, and we might just become too sick and weak-minded to notice what's happened.


Artificial turf is truly bad stuff. Its plastic grass made from toxic fossil fuel petrochemicals. It can't be recycled and eventually breaks down into microplastics, which as you know are literally everywhere and continuing to build up in the environment and inside all of us.


The expected life of an artificial turf field is only 8-10 years. And there is no great way to dispose of it all. Incinerate it and pollute our air and water? Throw it in the landfill? 


Plastic grass gets so hot in the summer sun that it can melt and burn athletes. Even in cooler temps, athletes that dive and slide on it get nasty burns and abrasions that allow toxic compounds to get into the wound causing infections. Tire crumb, which is often used as a cushion, has been shown to cause cancer in athletes.


There's no doubt about it.  For our children’s health, natural grass is the only way to go.


Please peruse the links and videos below to learn more.

The True Costs of Artificial Turf

The Myths of Artificial Turf with Dr. Kyla Bennett

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLASTIC GRASS

Safe Healthy Playing Fields

LEARN MORE HERE

Beyond Plastic's Plastic Grass Toolkit

Plastic Grass Toolkit includes model bills, fact sheets, testimony and memos, a media toolkit, and more!

3-13-24 PennEnvironment:

Dangerous Play: Studies find harmful ‘forever chemicals’ in artificial turf fields

Risky Play

February 20, 2024 - Philadelphia Inquirer

 A stew of toxic chemicals lurks in artificial turf. Some experts worry they could be linked to cancer in young athletes. 


pdf file

Does playing soccer on artificial turf increase cancer risk, especially in kids?

February 8, 2024 - KUOW - NPR


Does playing soccer on artificial turf increase cancer risk, especially in kids?

Field of Dread

March 7, 2023 - Philadelphia Inquirer


Six former Phillies died from the same brain cancer. We tested the Vet’s turf and found dangerous chemicals.

Forever Fields

December 13, 2023 - Philadelphia Inquirer

 

 ‘Forever Fields’: How Pennsylvania became a dumping ground for discarded artificial turf 

Environmental Protection Agency

LEARN MORE

March 10, 2023 - The Guardian

Artificial turf potentially linked to cancer deaths of six Phillies ball players – report 

New Jersey Department of Health

SEE MORE

3-13-2022 Plastic Pollution Coalition

Pass on “Plastic Grass”: Why Natural Options Win Over Synthetic Turf

1-1-2023 Science Direct

The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments

Clean Water Action

The Turf is Artificial, But the Harm is Very Real

TURI.org

Artificial Playing Fields

PEER - Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

Artificial Turf

Surfrider Foundation

Why We Shouldn't Choose Plastic Over Plants

Plastic Free Delaware - making a difference locally, doing Delaware's part globally.


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Plastic Free Delaware does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, 

disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. 

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