Legislation

City of Millbrae | October 24, 2023
Municipal Code Chapter 8.65: City of Millbrae Synthetic Grass and Artificial Turf Ordinance
The installation and use of synthetic turf and artificial grass landscaping is prohibited in the City of Millbrae.

The purpose of this chapter is to protect and enhance the health, safety and general welfare of residents and to protect the water quality of our watercourses, water bodies and wetlands in a manner pursuant to and consistent with the state and federal regulations and permits, including the Clean Water Act.

City of San Marino | September 11, 2024
San Marino Municipal Code Section 23.16.24: Prohibition on Artificial Turf and Synthetic Grass
No artificial turf or synthetic grass shall be installed within the City. ... Existing artificial turf, synthetic grass, artificial plant, or artificial vegetation within the City legally installed prior to September 13, 2023, must be removed no later than October 31, 2030.

The unregulated installation of artificial turf and synthetic grass poses a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City.

State of Colorado | March 15, 2024
Prohibition of Nonfunctional Turf, Artificial Turf, and Invasive Plant Species
Colorado Revised Statutes, title 37, article 99 signed into law.

Artificial turf can cause negative environmental impacts, such as exacerbating heat island effects in urban areas and releasing harmful chemicals, including plastics, microplastics, and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, into the environment and watersheds. The general assembly therefore declares that preventing the installation, planting, or placement of nonfunctional turf, artificial turf, and invasive plant species in applicable property in the state is a matter of statewide concern and in the public interest.

Sharon, Massachusetts | October 12, 2020
Artificial Turf Field Moratorium
The purpose of this moratorium is to protect Lake Massapoag, and the Town's wetlands, rivers, streams, ponds, groundwater, drinking water, soil, fish and wildlife, as well as human health.

Current artificial turf carpets have known environmental and health hazards. They contain toxic chemicals, including flame retardants, plasticizers, and PFAS, a class of synthetic compounds that includes approximately 4,700 chemicals. PFAS are a particular health threat, as they are highly persistent "forever chemicals" that never fully degrade, accumulate in our bodies, and adversely impact human health even at low levels of exposure.
Artificial turf carpets are produced from petroleum. They are also not currently recyclable in the U.S. One facility in Pennsylvania collects turf fields for "recycling," but only recycles the crumb rubber that is removed from the plastic carpet. Current plastic artificial turf fields are also not biodegradable or compostable.

County of Santa Clara Supervisor Otto Lee
Plastic Turf FAQ

• Properly installed and maintained fields with more drought and wear-tolerant grass species can rival artificial turf fields in playing time.
• Plastic turf is not cheaper than natural grass
• Plastic turf does not save water compared to natural grass
• Plastic turf typically ends up in landfill dues to lack of facilities and high costs of recycling
• There is no plastic turf product that is completely free of PFAS
• The existence of PFAS in many products around us does not justify installing hundreds of pounds of it in our park

Gothamist | March 2, 2025
Turf wars: NYC Council bill would ban artificial grass in city parks

" We saw that after a rain, the blades of artificial grass, the green dyes and the little infill beads were flowing into the East River. We looked into it and we learned these substances pollute our waterways."

Spectrum News 1 | March 22, 2024
Cities and counties regain power to ban artificial turf for environmental push

Charles Miller and the LA Chapter of the Climate Reality Project are reaching out to Los Angeles City leaders advocating for them to adopt a ban on new installations of turf, and so far the city has told him they are looking into it.

California Constitution
SB-676 Local ordinances and regulations: drought-tolerant landscaping.

Summary of SB-676 amendment to Section 53087.7 of the Government Code: Drought-tolerant landscaping using living plant material addresses long-term water conservation. Synthetic grass or artificial turf are not considered drought-tolerant. Cities and counties cannot prohibit the installation of drought-tolerant landscaping using living plant material on residential property, however they can prohibit synthetic grass or artificial turf.