Turf refers to both natural grass systems and synthetic alternatives, and each is built from surprisingly different materials. Most people searching this question want to know what artificial turf is made of, so that’s where we’ll start, but natural turf and newer hybrid systems have their own layered compositions worth understanding.
Synthetic Turf Blades: Three Main Plastics
The green “grass” blades you see on an artificial field are made from one of three plastic polymers, or a blend of them.
Polyethylene (PE) is the most common choice. It’s a soft, flexible plastic that mimics the feel of natural grass better than the alternatives. High-quality versions are treated with UV stabilizers to resist sun damage and reduce heat absorption. If you’ve walked on a modern backyard turf or a newer sports field, you were likely standing on polyethylene blades.
Polypropylene (PP) is lighter and cheaper. You’ll find it in budget installations and decorative applications, like putting greens or landscaping accents. The tradeoff is durability: polypropylene isn’t as UV-stable, so it degrades faster in direct sun and tends to retain more heat.
Nylon is the strongest and most expensive fiber. It resists UV degradation well and holds its shape under heavy foot traffic, making it a go-to for high-use sports facilities. Many modern fields use mixed-fiber systems that combine nylon’s toughness with polyethylene’s softer feel, getting the benefits of both.
What’s Under the Blades: Infill Materials
Synthetic turf isn’t just plastic grass glued to a mat. Between and around the blades sits a layer of loose material called infill, which serves multiple purposes: it weighs the turf down, cushions impact, helps blades stand upright, and gives the surface a more natural bounce.
The most widely used infill is crumb rubber, made from recycled car and truck tires that are ground into small granules. Two processing methods produce it: ambient grinding (done at room temperature) and cryogenic grinding (using liquid nitrogen to freeze the rubber before crushing). Some manufacturers coat the rubber particles to reduce dust and seal the surface. Crumb rubber is cheap, effective at absorbing shock, and keeps millions of tires out of landfills. It’s also the most controversial infill, as we’ll cover below.
Silica sand is one of the oldest infill options and still widely used. It’s a natural, non-toxic, chemically stable material with no risk of heavy metal contamination. High-purity silica sand (above 90% purity) resists crushing and doesn’t harbor bacteria as easily. Its round grain shape helps it settle evenly through the turf system. Many fields use silica sand as a base layer beneath crumb rubber, or coated with a thin acrylic or elastomeric shell to add some shock absorption while keeping the benefits of a natural material.
Other infill options include coconut fiber, cork, and thermoplastic elastomers. These are marketed as organic or plant-based alternatives and are growing in popularity, though they cost more and may need replacing sooner.
The Backing and Base Layers
Flip a piece of synthetic turf over and you’ll find the backing, which is the structural foundation that holds everything together. Most turf uses a dual-layer backing: a latex layer for flexibility, topped with a polyurethane layer for strength and durability. The turf blades are tufted through this backing, similar to how carpet fibers are attached to carpet backing.
Beneath the turf itself sits a carefully engineered base. A typical installation includes crushed angular gravel (usually 3/4-inch pieces) compacted to create a stable, well-draining foundation. Some installations use decomposed granite or road base instead. A permeable geotextile fabric goes between the base and the turf to block weed growth while still letting water drain through. On athletic fields, an additional shock pad often sits between the base and the turf surface. These pads are commonly made from expanded polypropylene (EPP) beads bonded together, creating an open-pore structure that drains quickly while absorbing impact from falls and tackles.
Natural Turf Composition
Natural turf is living grass growing in a carefully engineered soil mix called a rootzone. Professional sports fields don’t just plant seed in native dirt. The rootzone is typically 80% or more sand by volume, blended with smaller amounts of native soil and organic matter. This heavy sand content is critical for drainage and aeration. Native soil alone compacts too easily under foot traffic, turning waterlogged and suffocating the grass roots.
The grass species varies by climate. Cool-season fields use Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, or tall fescue. Warm-season fields rely on bermudagrass or zoysiagrass. Below the rootzone, professional fields often have a network of drainage pipes embedded in gravel, functioning much like the drainage base under synthetic turf.
Hybrid Turf: A Middle Ground
Hybrid turf combines real grass with synthetic reinforcement, and there are a few distinct approaches. Reinforced systems mix synthetic fibers directly into the rootzone soil. The fibers stabilize the ground and give grass roots something extra to grip, reducing divots and wear. Stabilized systems use a synthetic mat filled with growing medium up to the tops of the fibers, so the grass crown sits protected inside the mat and roots grow down through an open backing.
In permanent hybrid systems, synthetic fibers are injected directly into the soil with a small portion poking above the surface. The natural grass grows around and through the synthetic blades, creating a surface that looks and plays like real grass but can handle far more hours of use per week. You’ll find these systems at high-profile soccer and rugby stadiums where surface quality and durability both matter.
Heat Differences Between Synthetic and Natural Turf
One practical consequence of synthetic turf’s plastic composition is heat. A systematic review published in the International Journal of Biometeorology found that synthetic turf surface temperatures consistently run 9 to 34°C (roughly 16 to 61°F) hotter than natural grass. On clear, hot days, the gap is largest. One study recorded synthetic surfaces reaching 46°C (115°F) compared to just 24°C (75°F) on adjacent natural grass. Even on overcast days, synthetic surfaces still ran 14 to 21°C hotter.
Air temperature above the surface is also affected, though less dramatically: roughly 0.5 to 1.2°C higher at standing height over synthetic turf compared to natural grass. For anyone playing sports or letting kids play on artificial turf in summer, these numbers matter.
Environmental and Chemical Concerns
Synthetic turf sheds microplastics. A detailed analysis of Norwegian artificial turf fields found that each field loses an average of 900 kilograms (nearly 2,000 pounds) of crumb rubber granules per year through normal use and maintenance. That rubber washes into storm drains, soil, and waterways.
There’s also growing regulatory attention on PFAS, the group of persistent synthetic chemicals sometimes called “forever chemicals.” Minnesota became one of the first states to act, prohibiting the sale and distribution of synthetic turf containing intentionally added PFAS starting in 2025. This prohibition groups synthetic turf with carpets, rugs, and other fabric-based floor coverings. Other states are considering similar rules, and manufacturers are beginning to reformulate their products in response.