The garden is one of the many organizations and public bodies that place artificial turf in what environmental activists say is a plastic epidemic that is spreading across the UK. There has been growing interest across the UK in buying artificial turf during the lockdown, according to Google Trends. The growing fashion of installing plastic in place of natural turf is coming as artificial grass retailers are making increasingly environmental claims about their products. The latest development is the artificial grass known as “air”, which the manufacturers say is capable of cleaning the air pollution by oxidizing organic components and odors at the molecular level. Campaigners describe it as greenwash and point out that natural grass already “cleans the air” through photosynthesis, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. The grass also provides habitats for insects and worms, attracts birds that feed on invertebrates and helps drain rainwater. Richard Dowling, a fighter, said the speed and scale with which natural gardens were being removed and replaced with plastic was “a disaster”. “It simply came to our notice then. “If we lose all our gardens, our wildlife – which is already being displaced by intensive agriculture and pesticides – will have nowhere to go.” Google is looking for graphics for artificial turf The United Kingdom has lost more natural biodiversity than the industrial revolution almost anywhere in Europe, according to a study by scientists at the Museum of Natural History in London. Dowling has launched an application to introduce an environmental damage tax on artificial turf. Carlisle City Council – which says in its climate change mission statement that it wants to play a full role in protecting the environment – was recently criticized for spending 50 50,000 on an artificially populated grass emerging park. Somerset County Council placed plastic grass on a roundabout and then sent a clerk to cut it with a twister. The Eden Project confirmed that it had used plastic grass in a children’s play area. “The mission statement says it is dedicated to improving the collective understanding of the connections between all living things; fresh air, clean water, fertile soil, rich biodiversity.” A spokesman said: “To ensure the safety of the children enjoying this temporary play area, we decided to use durable and soft artificial turf that will be reused many times over. The real grass, in this context, would turn to mud in a few hours and therefore would not be sustainable. “ Research shows that plastic grass – which is most often made from a mixture of plastics – polypropylene, polyurethane and polyethylene – increases heat in the areas where it is used. When broken down it can release microplastics into the environment, which are thought to be harmful to humans. There is little evidence of carbon footprint in artificial grass, most of which is made in China and Vietnam and shipped to the United Kingdom. “It’s a fossil fuel product,” said Charlotte Howard, a Wiltshire gardener campaigning for nature gardens. Howard says the fake lawn blast is being blamed on people who influence social media, such as Ms. Hinch. Howard specializes in helping families in newly built homes whose gardens have poor soil as a result of builders removing and selling the topsoil, leaving the garden with poor soil and no drainage. “When I go to remove artificial turf, the chaos is horrible. “They often stink and when you pick up the plastic grass you find a sea of ​​dead worms,” ​​he said. Howard said that despite the manufacturers’ claims, the artificial turf did not require maintenance. “Pet feces should be scraped off, the grass should be wiped, weeds should be gone, pets’ urine should smell bad and the plastic should eventually break,” he said. Dr Robert Francis, an ecologist at King’s College London, is researching the ecological impact of plastic grass. “Artificial lawns meet the cultural requirements of the ‘good’ lawn,” he wrote. However, they do it to the detriment of any remaining “naturalness” and incarnation of life. He said his research found that artificial turf could increase the risk of flooding in cities because rainfall could not drain into the ground, letting more of it run. The Association of Artificial Grass Installers did not respond to requests for comment.