A NON-PLASTIC FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY OVALS
In NSW, there has been a six-fold increase in artificial turf replacing suburban grass sports fields in the past five years as sports clubs have embraced it as a reliable alternative.
Community groups have protested about the loss of green space and raised concerns about microplastics and heat associated with synthetic turf, prompting the state government to ask the state’s chief scientist, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, to investigate. Click here to read the full report
The final report, released in June 2023, identified significant knowledge gaps in relation to the chemical composition of synthetic turf and its effects on the environment and public health. The report also noted that recent improvements in natural turf management meant grass fields may allow for increased performance to meet demand without the need to replace natural grass with synthetic turf.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SYNTHETIC VS NATURAL TURF FACT SHEET
Without action from local communities, it’s likely that our natural turf fields will increasingly be replaced by plastic ovals.