Greg Roth
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Penn State
February, 1999

Another application of biodegradable corn based plastics is on the market in the turf industry. This product is called Turf Tacs, which are biodegradable plastic staples for anchoring turfgrass, erosion control netting and grass and flower mats. These staples are available in either U-shaped or L-shaped forms. Advantages of the corn based biodegradable plastics are that they help to prevent damage to mowing equipment and degrade in 3 to 8 weeks. The staples are 2.25 inches long, 1.0 inches across and 0.125 inches thick. The Turf Tacs are "stapled" into the turf with a hand held unit called a Turf Tacker that allows you to drive the staples from an upright position. The Turf Tacs and the Turf Tacker were developed by EcoTurf, Inc., Chicago, Illinois and are marketed locally by Seedway (800-836-3720).