🛑Stopping Synturf in Maryland🌿
After rallying community opposition, Beyond Plastics affiliate Less Plastic Please and Sierra Club of Howard County’s Zero Waste Team were thrilled when Howard County Recreation and Parks recently agreed to scrap a plan that included converting three multipurpose natural fields to two synthetic turf baseball fields. The County’s updated plans will maintain two multipurpose natural turf fields. Long live real grass!
“We are hoping that this will be their policy moving forward and that the department will no longer convert natural grass fields to artificial turf. We also hope the tide is turning as the Maryland legislature just passed two bills addressing the pollution and toxicity of synthetic turf (HB457) and playground surfaces (HB1147) and bringing awareness to this issue. We thank Safe Healthy Playing Fields, Inc. for their invaluable assistance in our opposition,” said Liz Feighner of Less Plastic Please.
One of the multi-use natural grass fields in East Columbia Library Park that will be preserved! Photo by Dan Hill via Googlemaps.
NEED HELP FIGHTING SYNTHETIC TURF IN YOUR TOWN OR CITY?
Do you know of a synthetic turf project brewing in your area? Need support in opposing? Come to the second half of the Beyond Plastics Local Groups and Affiliates meeting to join a breakout room with others opposing synthetic turf installations. Register here and save the link recurring in your calendar for 7:30pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month to be there in time for breakout rooms. If you’d like to join the full meeting, it begins at 7pm.
RESOURCES
Fact Sheet: View or download our fact sheet on artificial or synthetic turf here.
We’ve created some sample language for moratoriums and a ban that you can use to attempt to stop the installation of artificial turf (aka synthetic turf or plastic grass) in your town, city, county, or state below.