Letters to the Editor: Fake plastic grass is a hot, toxic mess. Stop using it

To the editor: To the letter writers who wrote in support of fake grass, I have two comments.

First, plastic recycling is basically a hoax perpetrated by the plastics industry. Ultimately, almost all plastic winds up in landfills, the oceans and our bodies. Fake grass only adds to this problem.

Second, fake grass has absolutely zero habitat value. At a time when we are losing plant and animal species due to climate change, we should be doing all in our power to create native plant habitats in our public and private spaces to support the animals with whom we share our Earth.

Chuck Petithomme, Burbank

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To the editor: In an overheating world, there is no excuse for smothering outdoor spaces with plastic or tire waste. Synthetic turf is a plastic carpet masquerading as grass, but it is the exact opposite of cooling, oxygenating, natural grass.

Plastic carpeting can be hotter than asphalt, and it sheds plastic fibers and microplastics that are inhaled, ingested and stick to skin. And, a recent study published in the journal Environment International found that the chemicals in plastics can cross the skin barrier into our bodies.

Grass fields can be engineered to be water efficient, durable and low maintenance. There is no excuse for exposing children and athletes to hot, toxin-laden plastic surfacing.

Kathleen Michels, Silver Spring, Md.