Natural grass pitch VS artificial turf pitch

Natural turf pitch VS artificial turf pitch

An essential place for sports and leisure, sports fields are the subject of questions about their environmental impact. Synthetic or natural turf field? Which one should be preferred for sustainable sports? Fair Play For Planet asked the question for you.

The case of natural turf -

Often preferred by users, it has many advantages but also raises issues that led us to create a few years ago artificial turf fields.

If one looks first at its environmental benefits, one notices that natural grass has many virtues. One thinks in particular of its double power of sound and thermal insulation. In this sense, it plays a role of real air conditioner of the cities, according to the analysis of Edmont Pierre Picard, specialist in the matter.

Not only that, it also captures and retains dust and dirt from the ambient air 3 to 6 times more than a plain surface.

Like trees, grass consumes CO2 and produces oxygen. Even if it "breathes", the balance is largely in favor of oxygen production. One hectare of lawn captures the equivalent CO2 emissions of 30 cars a year, making it a veritable natural lung!

However, natural grass requires special maintenance and regular watering, and this need for water will increase with climate change. In addition to being a highly endangered resource, watering poses a real financial problem for sports facilities and local authorities.

[...]