Rachel speaks to BBC Radio on the Society of Garden Designers campaign: Say No to Plastic Grass and Plants
As the lead for sustainability for the Society of Garden Designers (SGD), Rachel was invited to speak on BBC radio Essex and BBC 3 counties radio this week on the SGD’s campaign supported by The RHS and the Landscape Institute ‘Say No To Plastic Grass and Plants’. She highlighted some of the main reasons why we should avoid putting effectively a plastic carpet in our gardens:
For the sake of our wildlife - artificial turf seals soil breaking a food cycle between birds and small mammals that depend on insects in the soil for example; it contributes to flooding - water cannot infiltrate to the water table; and it if often used in larger areas than patios.
For the environment - plastic is made from fossil fuels therefore contributing to climate change and whilst is often labelled recyclable, cannot/ is not recycled in the UK and ends up in landfill; the ‘carpets’ shed plastic fibres that enter the food chain and water courses.
For our health - microbes in the soil and in the air around plants boosts our immune system; plastic grass and plants results in a sterile environment - not good for our health. Recent reports
As a long term supporter of not specifying plastic grass and plants, Rachel, on behalf of our design team, has previously written in depth about the problems of artificial turf. You can read more about this in our articlea 11 reasons why artificial turf is so bad in our knowledge hub and in the Prolandscaper journal
For more information about the campaign, go to: Society of Garden Designers - Say No
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