a controversial coating, soon to be banned

A very green lawn all year round, which unrolls like a carpet with blades of grass imitating the natural. Artificial grass, synthetic, is becoming more and more popular. “I’m thinking of saving watering and fuel compared to the mower”, advances an individual. A surface well known to football fans who have already walked on synthetic turf. In Marcq-en-Baroeul (North), the town hall has opted to equip its seven pitches in this way. “In this period of drought, it was a plus”comments Didier Ellardthe municipal sports assistant.

This resistant lawn, designed to last fifteen years, is made from rolls of plastic yarn. But on sports fields, this turf must be ballasted with sand, then are added rubber balls to absorb the shocks. Black balls from tire recycling. “Imagine living at a tire dealer’s, that’s what we experience in the summer. It’s an extremely strong smell of rubber and a smell of sulfur”, complains a retiree, living near a synthetic football pitch. He has ordered expert reports that raise concerns about health and the environment. These aggregates should therefore be banned by Europe.