Can artificial turf replace natural grass?
So, can artificial grass ever replace the real thing? This page will summarise the key points about natural and synthetic grass and come to a conclusion as to the whether or not we should be using it more, predicting what its usage will be in the future.
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Artificial turf has come very far since its first appearance in the Astrodome back in the 1960s. It's without doubt that todays model of synthetic grass is much improved since then, with authenticity having improved significantly, the surface material having been changed to be more skin friendly and to provide a more enjoyable experience. This is backed up by a survey of 100 young people, of whom 81% thought that artificial turf had improved over time.
Older generations of artificial grass were trialled in sports such as football, baseball and American football but gradually were phased out, due to many professionals complaining of injuries due to the hard impact of the playing surface. A survey of 100 young people showed that 39% think artificial surfaces increase risk of injury, 34% believe there is no increased risk of injury and 27% who aren't sure.
However in sports such as golf and field hockey, synthetic fields have retained popularity and are now widely used throughout these sports. 88% of a survey of 100 young people said their experience on artificial turf was the same as or better than that on natural grass but only 14% said they would rather play on artificial turf, with 62% favouring natural pitches.
It is likely that in the future, artificial turf will be used for a wider variety of activities in a wider variety of countries around the globe, both in temperate and extreme climates. It has many properties that lends it to multipurpose usage. It's widely thought that many sports will gradually become accepting of synthetic surfaces, leading to their use in many professional leagues, making higher maintenance natural grass pitches largely redundant. The use of artificial pitches in grassroots sports could be the largest change, where funding is at its lowest, so maintenance costs can't be afforded, therefore synthetic fields are perfect for this.
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All in all, the future looks bright for artificial grass, in a world looking for perfect smooth, low maintenance surfaces. Don't be surprised to see even more artificial fields appearing in the near future.
Outside of sports, artificial surfaces have been used increasingly often in landscaping, due to convenience and resistance to extreme climates, now even used in some airports.
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One downside of artificial turf is that it costs a lot to install, however this is nearly fully made up for by the face that it requires significiantly less maintenance over its lifespan, therefore saving money. This surface also lends itself to other events, as well as sports, where natural grass doesn't and can have dual usage, therefore generating more income.
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Future innovations linked with artificial turf show that there is a lot of room for expansion in the industry, with improvements to be made to the structure to make it feel as authentic as possible, as well as using technology such as fibre optic cables to make the surfaces more versatile. Further use of artificial turf in extreme climates could improve physical health in poorer nations in Africa and the Middle East, as well as in colder Scandinavian nations.
