Greening the driveway.
There’s growing support for lawn driveways and their considerable environmental benefits, writes Sarah Pickette.
‘THE PAVER SAL LOW FOR GOOD DRAINAGE AND DEEP ROOTS, AND THAT USUALLY RESULTS IN HEALTHY GRASS .’ VICKI WEEKS, GRASS-C EL
Here’s a clever way to maximise the amount of greenery around your home: install a grass-covered driveway, as an increasing number of Australians are doing. “A lawn driveway can boost your council-mandated landscape ratio, you’ll have more grass for kids to play on, and you’ll reap some great environmental benefits,” says Vicki Weeks, director of Grass-Cel, a Sydney-based manufacturer of grass- and pebble-reinforced paving systems. Increasing the grassed area around your home can help halt erosion and stormwater run-off, and it can play a role in producing oxygen and absorbing pollutants.
“Turf has a very positive effect on air quality and a small carbon footprint,” says Joe Rogers, technical manager of Lawn Solutions Australia, a national group of accredited turf growers. “If a residential driveway of about 70m2 was turfed, it would absorb more carbon and exert more oxygen than the world’s largest tree.” Lawn also absorbs noise and glare, and is far cooler (in temperature) to have around your house than concrete or hardscaping, adds Weeks.
A grass driveway starts with porous turf pavers laid over a soil base and under the grass. “Grass-Cel pavers are made up of hexagonal cells that can be locked together to create a mat of just about any size,” says Weeks. “The walls of each cell are capable of withstanding a weight of 26 tonnes per square metre.” Grass roots grow down through the holes to bind and hold the paving blocks permanently in place.
Matt Leacy, landscape designer and director of Landart Landscapes, has used turf driveways on recent jobs and says they’re a great way to gain more green on small blocks. “When the subsoil is correctly prepared, the lawn can thrive and plays a significant role in minimising stormwater flow.”
Perhaps the most impressive environmental benefit is in the product composition: Grass-Cel pavers are made from recycled council wheelie bins. “They’re constructed from HDPE plastic [high-density polyethylene], which doesn’t rot or biodegrade,” says Weeks. Grass-Cel is in the process of obtaining Good Environmental Choice Australia certification for its pavers.
It’s thanks to these eco credentials that a Grass-Cel turf driveway will be included in House & Garden’s My Ideal House, soon to be constructed at Crest by Mirvac in Sydney. “Even if our pavers were pulled up years later and no longer needed, we’d be able to pelletise them and reuse the plastic,” says Weeks. “This is a truly recyclable product.” grasscel.com.au