A new petition has been created to help ban artificial grass in the UK.
Why Should We Ban Artificial Grass?
There are many good reasons to ban artificial grass.
If you replace real grass with the fake stuff, you will be taking away a source of food for wildlife like birds and hedgehogs, as the fake grass prevents animals like birds from getting at worms and other insects they need for their survival.
Fake grass also takes away a place for insects to live in, which means that fake grass contributes to the insect decline. It also contributes to the decline in birds and hedgehogs that we have been seeing in recent times.
Having a real lawn also helps wildlife in other ways - the muck, moss and grass gives animals like hedgehogs and birds the materials they need for building nests.
Grass cuttings can also be used by us too, as we can turn the grass cuttings into compost, this can help you save money.
The environment suffers in other ways from fake grass, as it is made from harmful chemicals and microplastics.
Though we are still learning about the impact that microplastics has on the environment, it is also thought that wildlife eat microplastics because they mistake the plastic for food. This doesn't just impact animals, it also impacts humans, as microplastics have been found in humans too.
There are also some other environmental reasons why we should ban artificial grass, such as - it contributes to plastic pollution, and real plants like grass help to create a cooler surface/climate as plants absorb Co2.
Finally, artificial grass is harmful to pets, as during the summer months, it can be too hot to walk on, as it is not real plants, so does not make the surface as cool as real grass and therefore it makes the surface hot to walk on.
These are some of the main reasons why we should ban plastic artificial grass - it harms wildlife, it harms the environment, it's harmful to pets, and it's harmful to us too. It's why we should avoid using artificial grass.
You can help to ban artificial grass by signing the petition below.
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