Shawgrass is excited to introduce our customers to a new and innovative natural infill for turf application: K9 Sand. K9 Sand is not only 100% natural, but it is also renewable and carbon negative, meaning it removes more carbon out of the atmosphere than the CO2 required to extract it. The carbon negative quality of K9 Sand is why it has a negative carbon footprint certification from the International Organization for Standardization. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg of the benefits to having K9 Sand a part of your artificial turf system.
K9 Sand is characterized by round, hard and uniform shaped grains:
Found in the ocean, K9 Sand is sustainably harvested from naturally occurring and regenerative deposits on the ocean shelf. Sustainable harvesting practices are used to extract K9 Sand from the ocean and the amount of K9 Sand harvested from the ocean deposits are less than 10% of what is renewed each year, ensuring the sustainability of this 100% natural and environmentally friendly turf infill.
Once you have a bag of Shawgrass K9 Sand, the small and uniform grain-size of K9 Sand will make it exceptionally easy to install. The round and uniform shape enables tiny voids between neighboring grains of K9 Sand, which enhances water drainage. Additionally, the rounded shape is gentle on turf fibers, providing relief from infill-related wear on turf through the years. K9 Sand is also hard and dustless, making it a durable turf infill solution. The benefits do not stop there though, K9 Sand can also help to keep the surface temperature of turf cool. Each grain of K9 Sand contains micro-pores which trap water. Water trapped in micro-pores are then released as surface temperature increases providing evaporative cooling and approximately 20°F cooler temperatures than standard turf infill. The high bulk-density of K9 Sand (106 pounds per cubic foot compared to 54 pounds per cubic foot of Zeofill, a zeolite infill) provides a worthy ballast for the turf for prevention of wrinkling.
K9 Sand is the most environmentally safe and friendly turf infill on the market. K9 Sand is non-toxic, contains no heavy metals, and no plastics. Additionally, K9 Sand has unique qualities that make it a perfect infill solution for artificial turf used by dogs and cat.
First, K9 Sand reduces the smell of urine. The smell from urine comes from the volatilization of ammonia in urine. K9 Sand reduces the smell of urine by preventing the hydrolysis of ammonia in urine. Additionally, K9 Sand reduces the growth of bacteria similarly to other turf infills with anti-microbial additives.
K9 Sand does all this with nothing added to it or coated – it is simply extracted from the ocean, cleaned off and sent to your door.