Every year lawns are doused with millions of gallons of water as well as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers. As a result, people and animals are unnecessarily exposed to potentially dangerous garden chemicals.
Many of those chemicals have been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization as possible carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and reproductive toxins. In a recent study, researchers found traces of lawn chemicals in 99 percent of 110 children tested. It's also estimated that at least seven million birds die each year from exposure to lawn chemicals.
But why are so many obsessed with having the perfect lawn? "Maybe it's for bragging rights," says master gardener Paul James. Whatever the reason, there are environmentally friendly ways to maintain a healthy lawn.
Maintain a smaller lawn. The surest way to make your lawn greener is to make it smaller. Add more garden beds, water features and paths or substitute groundcovers, which don't require as much maintenance. Learn to live with weeds, at least a reasonable percentage of them. They promote biodiversity and attract beneficial insects, and many of them are only seasonal anyway. Let the grass grow taller to shade out weeds. If you absolutely can't stand looking at weeds, pull them by hand rather than reaching for some sort of herbicide. Water the lawn only when necessary. Walk across the grass, and if it doesn't spring back fairly quickly, it probably needs to be watered. Otherwise, wait a while and test it again. Fertilize the lawn when necessary. Instead of fertilizing four or five times a year, as is often suggested, feed the lawn no more than twice a year using a slow-release, all-natural fertilizer or sifted compost. In many parts of the country, once is enough, and fall is the best season to fertilize. Use alternative types of lawn mowers where practical. If you have a small property, consider using a push mower or electric mower rather than one that runs on gas. If you have a lawn mower that runs on gas, make sure it's a mulcher. Grass clippings are a rich source of nutrients, and recycling them back into the lawn helps to feed it. 
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