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My balcony has a very ugly concrete floor that I don't like. I really like grass carpets (see a few examples on Amazon) though. I like their texture and I think they make a balcony more homely. To clarify: I'm not talking about putting in fake grass where I could otherwise grow real grass. I'm talking about my balcony on the 5th floor, where it's not possible to plant real grass.

However, I'm skeptical about having one put in. It is my understanding that they are mostly made of plastic and not very good for the environment. At the same time I'm thinking maybe they are made of recycled plastic.

My questions are:

  • Should I feel bad regarding the environment about putting one in?
  • Are there maybe any similar alternatives that are not as bad for the environment?
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    Welcome to Sustainable Living! In recent years there were concerns about health issues arising from the materials that are used to make "crumb rubber" that is part of grass carpets. I'm not sure though if all or only some carpets have that, and if those issues are resolved now. – THelper♦ Mar 24 '20 at 13:55
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    Googling for 'artificial grass rug recycled', if you ignore the greenwashing "our material can be recycled", you find come companies that claim to use recycled material, like Easygrass. You'll still have to find out what the percentage of recycled material is, though. And don't forget other factors like "How long will it last"?", "Can you actually recycle it when its lifetime is over?" and "Does it have to come from across the continent/world? – user2451 Mar 24 '20 at 14:07
  • Maybe use actual sustainable materials like wood? There are wooden tiles (with plastic buffers underneath, sadly) available, which can be laid out on any even surface (e.g. check your local hardware store). – Erik Mar 25 '20 at 13:52
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Two natural alternatives that I can think of are jute and bamboo rugs. Depending on how they are sourced and made they are likely to be better for the environment, and of course they are biodegradable, as opposed to plastic.

Jute will be soft and can have intricate designs, but might not work if your balcony gets a lot of rain.

Jute rug outdoors

Bamboo will handle moisture better, but isn't as soft.

Bamboo rug outdoors

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