Artificial grass, also known as synthetic grass, is an industrial carpet similar to real grass, but manufactured with polypropylene, polyethylene and synthetic materials. The first artificial grass was installed in 1965 in the brand new stadium Astrodomo, built in Houston, Texas. The product's popularity spread highly and its use became massive in the 80s.
Thanks to low maintenance costs, low water consumption and no need to use chemical and plant products, it is now widely used as a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative to real grass in sports fields, residential areas, shopping malls and public works. Moreover, FIFA has published standards so that matches played in these surfaces will be valid. In the 2010 World Cup, some matches were played on artificial grass.