Microplastics and larger plastic particles in runoff from the fields - Microplastics in stormwater runoff from synthetic turf is a big problem. The infill material is itself a microplastic, small enough to fit the definition of half a centimeter or less in diameter. An estimated 2,100 pounds of infill material is lost from a typical field each year, caught in stormwater runoff or adhered to athletes’ bodies and clothing.1 Larger plastic fibers shed from artificial grass blades also make their way into waterways, accounting for up to 15% of the plastic particles found in some water samples.2
Disposal - What happens to the plastic carpeting and infill when the field wears out, about every 10 years? An average 80,000 square foot field contains 40,000 pounds of carpeting and 400,000 pounds of infill, often a mix of crumb rubber and sand. Recycling would be better than landfilling or incinerating, but separating the carpet layers for recycling is difficult and expensive. New recycling facilities have opened; estimates on their efficiency and what actually happens to retired fields now don’t exist.
A 2025 Washington Post article describes recycling facilities that no longer accept synthetic turf, cases of “recycled” fields being abandoned in warehouses, the industry trade association declining to provide recycling estimates, and (on the positive side) a Louisiana-based company that processes about 50 fields a year.3
Cost - According to my county’s capital and maintenance expense data, properly maintained natural grass fields cost about 60% less than synthetic turf fields over 25 years. Crucially, that comparison includes the roughly $1 million cost of replacing a synthetic turf field at the end of each decade-long lifespan.4
Durability and playing time - Grass fields have come a long way. New installations optimize drainage and include options for all-season grasses. Sod replacement in small areas, as needed, keeps fields playable even with heavy use. Talk to local turfgrass experts about options for your field.
Equity - You might hear arguments for synthetic turf fields in historically underserved areas, where years of inadequate maintenance have left grass fields pitted and muddy. But consider where that could lead: well maintained grass fields in well-resourced neighborhoods with influential parent advocates, and plastic fields in communities that have long struggled to secure adequate public investment. What kind of equity is that?
Water use - You’ll hear that synthetic turf conserves water compared to grass. Here, it’s important to know that water is, in fact, applied to synthetic turf to cool overheated fields and to remove body fluids and other waste trapped in or adhered to the plastic.5 Compared with natural grass, synthetic turf can also increase stormwater runoff and reduce the amount of rainwater that soaks into the ground to replenish groundwater supplies, an especially important consideration in drought-prone areas.67
Kole PJ, Van Belleghem FGAJ, Stoorvogel JJ, Ragas AMJ, Löhr AJ. 2023. Tyre granulate on the loose; How much escapes the turf? A systematic literature review. Science of the Total Environment. 903:166221. December 10, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166221.
de Haan WP, Quintana R, Vilas C, Cózar A, Canals M, Uviedo O, Sanchez-Vidal A. 2023. The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments. Environmental Pollution. October 1, 2023. Environmental Pollution. 334:122094. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749123010965.
Coren MJ. 2025. Why one epidemiologist won’t let his kids play on artificial turf fields. The Washington Post. August 5, 2025 (updated August 6, 2025). https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/08/05/artificial-turf-heat-health-environment-cost/.
MCCPTA 2026 (Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations). MCCPTA Info Session: Real Grass for Healthy Kids. YouTube video here. See economic analysis at 1:05:00.
Jastifer JR, McNitt AS, Mack CD, Kent RW, McCullough KA, Coughlin MJ, Anderson RB. Synthetic Turf: History, Design, Maintenance, and Athlete Safety. Sports Health. 2019 Jan/Feb;11(1):84-90. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6299344/.
See description of compaction that reduces infiltration: Kruse J, Unruh JB, Marvin JW, Wichman T, Barber L, Samuel N, Bossart J, Lewis C, Momol EA. Synthetic Turfgrass and the Nine Principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping. University of Florida, IFAS Extension. https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP612.
See page 16: Montgomery County Artificial Turf Work Group. 2011. Artificial Turf: A Report on the Use of Artificial Turf in Montgomery County. April 2011. Appendix F: Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, “Artificial Turf,” June 28, 2010. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/archival-document?document=https://assets.montgomerycountymd.gov/files/OLOReport2024-12.pdf.