Environment

Say No to Plastic Grass & Plants

The Society of Garden Designers (SGD) have launched the ‘Say No to Plastic Grass & Plants’ campaign to raise awareness of their extreme environmental damage.

Plastic grass

Supported by the RHS and the Landscape Institute, the SGD campaign is highlights that plastic grass & plants are destroying wildlife by removing crucial natural habitats; cause plastic pollution, leak micro-plastics into waterways, cause flooding, contribute to urban heat islands due to the amount of warmth they retain and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in their production.

By means of the campaign, the society also aims to debunk the claims made by manufacturers that these products are harmless and encourage everyone to usenatural solutions instead. Furthermore, the SGD actively discourages members from specifying these products in their designs and has banned advertising and sponsorship of them from its publications and events since 2019. In 2022 the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) banned all plastic grass and plants from its shows and events.

A leaflet is available including FAQs, an extensive list of the detrimental effects the products have on the environment and suggestions for ‘green’ alternatives to help garden designers, landscapers and garden owners consider different options.