Plastic Turf Fields Are Taking Over America

The debate over whether to install turf over grass fields has become a referendum on sports, health, the environment and the use of scarce public resources.

By Ken Belson and Hiroko Tabuchi
July 26, 2025

Across the country, cities and towns are replacing grass fields with synthetic turf, a change that is driven by youth sports teams eager for more year-round playing spaces and the multibillion-dollar turf industry working to convince communities that plastic fields are better than natural ones.

Many local officials, at the urging of families involved in youth sports, say turf fields can easily be played on after it rains and don’t need to be mowed or reseeded.

But some residents, environmentalists and coaches are pushing back, claiming turf — which is made of plastic blades that mimic the look of grass and often sit on a layer of crumb rubber — is expensive to maintain because it must be replaced after several years, is vulnerable to flooding and exposes children to harmful chemicals and hotter temperatures.
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The debate over whether to install turf over grass fields has become a referendum on sports, health, the environment and the use of scarce public resources. In 2022, Boston effectively banned the installation of artificial turf, and municipalities in California, Connecticut and elsewhere have followed suit.

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