100% Poly Fiber Artificial Grass: It Just Makes Sense

When news stories broke earlier this year about potentially unhealthy levels of lead in some artificial grass playing fields, some synthetic lawns took the matter seriously. Among them, NewGrass® (www.newgrass.com) looked at its own products – had them tested – and was pleased with what it learned.

NewGrass® is one of the very few fake turf grass companies who take seriously their stated missions being not only water-wise but also eco-friendly. Environmental responsibility was one reason that even before the lead scare became newsworthy, NewGrass® was one company that had already stopped selling grass made with nylon blades. Its blades are 100% polyethylene.

One reason for choosing polyethylene fake grass fibers was that contrary to nylon, polyethylene is a 100% recyclable product. Aesthetically, NewGrass® believes polyethylene also makes a more durable and more attractive faux grass than nylon fibers.

Turns out that going with polyethylene in its fake turf grass was the right thing to do for other reasons as well. Early this past summer, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) reported potentially unhealthy levels of lead dust were reported in some artificial grass playing fields in the state. The federal Centers for Disease Control issued a health advisory.

But the next day, the CDC issued a follow-up statement saying the New Jersey studies indicated that only nylon or nylon/polyethylene blend fake grass contained “levels of lead that pose a potential public health concern.” On the other hand, the CDC reported that the same tests found that fields made with fake grass of 100% polyethylene fibers – like NewGrass® – “contained very low levels of lead.”

Within weeks, the debate over lead and artificial grass swept the nation and came to a head in California, where several synthetic grass companies were named in a class action suit by a national nonprofit consumer protection group. Being proactive, NewGrass® asked the California attorney general’s office to test its grass. The state did and determined that NewGrass® 100% polyethylene lawn is “lead safe.”

Nylon requires a lead-based bonding agent so it can hold the pigment of a dye to color it. It's apparently this pigment-binding chemcial that breaks down as the grass ages, gets dusty and poses a health risk. Polyethylene does not require that kind of extra treatment.

“We’ve always taken the responsible approach,” said NewGrass President Greg Goehner. “It’s our mission. The fact that poly lawn is lead-safe is not why we chose it in the first place. But it’s indicative of how we do business.”