Artificial turf is popular because it stays green without water or mowing. But for wildlife, a lawn made of plastic is a very different place from a living one, and councils around Australia are taking notice.

Plastic grass isn’t habitat

Living ground is habitat. WIRES notes that grassed areas attract birds such as magpies, and that mulch and leaf litter give insects, lizards, ground birds and small mammals food, shelter and nesting material. Artificial turf replaces all of that with a plastic surface laid over compacted ground.

Councils have noticed. Camden Council in NSW says synthetic turf “offers no ecological or long term amenity benefits”. Sunshine Coast Council points to harm to soil organisms and wildlife habitat, and warns that compacting the ground before installation can affect the health of nearby trees and gardens.

It gets hot

The NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer’s review of synthetic turf flagged heat as a concern, because synthetic turf “lacks the cooling and latent heat loss of natural turf”. Sunshine Coast Council says it adds to the urban heat island effect, and an Adelaide City Council report found its surface hotter than both asphalt and natural turf.

It sheds plastic

The same review found “evidence that both rubber infill and turf fibre blades from synthetic turf fields are found in waterways in NSW”. Expert advice to the review estimated that a sports field without measures to stop infill escaping could wash “tens to hundreds of kilograms of infill per year” into stormwater or waterways.

When artificial turf wears out, it doesn’t break down. As Sunshine Coast Council points out, it’s non-renewable and ends up in landfill.

Councils are drawing a line

  • Camden Council (NSW) doesn’t permit artificial turf on nature strips, and can require unapproved installations to be removed.
  • Sunshine Coast Council (Qld) doesn’t allow it on council-controlled road verges.
  • Adelaide City Council voted unanimously in 2019 to ban new artificial turf on city verges, citing heat, biodiversity and stormwater.
  • Overseas, the European Union is phasing out the loose plastic granules used as infill on synthetic sports pitches. Selling them will be banned from 17 October 2031.

These rules mostly cover public land such as nature strips, and the NSW review itself stopped short of calling for a ban, recommending better management and more research instead. But the trend is clear.

Better options for wildlife

  • Plant natives. WIRES recommends native trees, groundcovers and shrubs, mixing low groundcovers with denser shrubs that shelter small birds and reptiles.
  • Let mulch and leaf litter build up in garden beds.
  • Keep some living lawn where you can, because grassed areas are where birds like magpies find food.
  • Skip the chemicals. WIRES advises against using pesticides in wildlife-friendly gardens.
  • Check your council’s rules before changing a nature strip.

The bottom line

A living lawn or native garden is habitat. Plastic grass isn’t. If you’re weighing up artificial turf, think about what it would replace, and check your council’s rules for nature strips first.