A newly enacted Florida law will allow more lawns to be replaced with artificial turf, expanding options for homeowners but also prompting environmental concerns.
The law, which took effect at the beginning of July, prevents municipalities from imposing rules that inhibit the installation of synthetic turf on any single-family residential property smaller than 1 acre.
As part of the law, the Department of Environmental Protection will adopt minimum standards regarding “material type, color, permeability, stormwater management, potable water conservation, water quality, proximity to trees and other vegetation, and other factors impacting environmental conditions of adjacent properties.”
It is unclear whether the department has completed the guidelines the law requires. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
Reps. Michelle Salzman, Republican of Cantonment; Philip Griffitts, Republican of Panama City, and Yvette Benarroch, Republican of Naples sponsored the bill. None were immediately available for comment.
Industry sources show artificial turf is typically made from three materials: polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon. Although it reduces the need for watering and lawn maintenance, it still requires water and work to keep clean.
However, the practice can have negative environmental impacts. A 2023 study from Utah State University comparing artificial grass with xeriscaping, a landscaping method designed to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation, determined that the synthetics add to the urban heat island effect more than grass, which lowers the ambient temperature as it respirates. It also found that runoff from the material can include toxic metals and microplastics.