HISTORY OF 
ARTIFICAL
GRASS

It may come as a surprise to some, but the history of artificial grass stretches back almost sixty years to 1965, when the first patent for such a surface was filed. Unlike its array of applications today, however, it was originally used solely as a surface for indoor sports facilities. Made of nylon fibres, its durability and low maintenance made it extremely appealing, and by the 1970s its application had extended to outdoor sports facilities.

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While the introduction of this new surface was a landmark moment, bringing great practical benefits, the use of nylon fibres meant that artificial grass was an expensive purchase which restricted its application to high-end sports facilities. Add to this the fact that there was still a considerable gap between the look and feel of artificial grass and its natural counterpart and it seemed inevitable that further advances were to come.

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This was indeed the case when, in the 1980s, the more affordable and natural looking polythene fibres were introduced as an alternative to the original nylon fibres that had been used up to this point; for the first time, artificial grass surfaces were no longer considered ‘niche’.

 

The 1990s brought further advances in manufacturing and technology: artificial grass was now made of a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene fibres, leading to an even more realistic, durable surface and an exponential growth in its popularity.

 

Today, while it is used to surface an ever expanding number of sports facilities – from golf courses to some of the most famous sports stadiums in the world – it has become an extremely popular choice for residential lawns and commercial landscapes.