There are compelling reasons for undertaking a lawn conversion. We should all aim to have a  sustainable relationship with the natural world that supports us and, by doing so, our gardens and landscapes will enable our ecosystems to produce not only a life support for ourselves but also for other species. In some jurisdictions where there are water shortages, local government authorities are encouraging alternatives to lawns to reduce water use. Researchers have also noted that suburban lawns are "biological deserts" that are contributing to wide-scale ecological homogenisation. Lawn maintenance practices cause biodiversity loss in surrounding areas through the use of chemical sprays, fertiliser application etc. and then there is fossil energy required to mow them.

According to Doug Tallamy there are four landscape ecological goals and lawns fail each of these goals:

• Our landscapes must support a diverse community of pollinators throughout the growing season.
• Our landscapes must provide energy for the local food web.
• Our landscapes must manage the watershed in which they lie.
• Our landscapes must remove carbon from the atmosphere where it is wreaking havoc on the earth’s climate.