Advanced Sports Installations Europe details how the circular economy is already applicable in the artificial turf market
The demands and requirements placed on artificial turf fields at the highest level have been significantly increased by sports authorities, federations and laboratories alike. A key consequence of this is that sports facilities, municipalities and investors find themselves confronted with the reality that after an average of just six years of usage, the artificial turf needs to be replaced. This refurbishment process is often time-consuming and costly for all project stakeholders, as well as presenting major logistical problems in handling all used materials – e.g. artificial turf and infill. A single, full-sized football field requires up to 300 tonnes of mixed materials.
What happens to these materials?
In 90% of cases the used materials are landfilled whilst new materials are produced and delivered – often from long distances. This is a waste of resources as it is possible to reuse all the used materials at the same location, or at least close to the original field. Based on circularity principles, which are becoming more and more applicable to our society, in the future most of the materials will be reused and the resources of the Earth will be saved. This is already possible in the case of artificial turf fields.
Advanced Sports Installations Europe AS (ASIE) has been dealing with artificial turf sports fields for 25 years, of which the last seven years has been spent focusing on handling the used artificial turf fields in an environmentally friendly way. Aiming for zero waste and with as little stress to Nature as possible, ASIE’s engineers have developed a technology concept called ‘ARENA’. By developing the ARENA concept, ASIE is following its policy to act responsibly and provide sustainable solutions. The ARENA concept is being verified by the EU Environmental Technology Verification Programme.
Client-centric circularity
The ARENA concept is the first on-site artificial turf handling solution enabling used artificial turf to be reused or recycled based on circularity principles. It covers the whole refurbishing process from the removal of used artificial turf with special machinery to complete material recycling, or the process of reuse based on each client’s requirements. New technology has given used materials the potential to be reinstalled with a prolonged lifespan.
All ARENA concept technologies are verified by the Finnish Technical Research Centre VTT. The amount of CO2 produced for each operation is calculated based on lifecycle analyses and certified by the Environmental Product Declaration. The amount of CO2 emitted will always be declared upon quotations and invoices where ARENA technology has been used for refurbishment. The ecological footprint can thereby be calculated by every customer.
You can read more about the ARENA concept in Pan European Networks: Government issue 20 (‘Pitch Perfect’) and issue 22 (‘Change the Pitch’) or otherwise contact ASIE.
In assuring the transparent usage of all materials on artificial turf fields by all involved parties (producers, installers, recyclers, etc.), ASIE is developing a cloud-based system wherein materials will be barcoded and registered using a block chain principle. There are 24,000 artificial turf football fields in the EU and this number is rapidly growing. Artificial turf is being used more often than natural turf for constructing new fields, and a new way of proving the handling of removed materials is needed to avoid misuse or poor disposal practices such as being landfilled, burnt or buried.
The most important element of the database system is the option to track the movement of all used materials and usage during refurbishment.
What is the value of the ARENA concept?
- Precise removal enables the reuse of the turf and infill materials. In this way you can give a second life to a turf on a lower level purpose – a training field or a school field. This helps to save money;
- Removing old turf four times faster and renewing a full field two times faster enables you to save valuable playing time. With ARENA technology renewal takes only seven days;
- A complete on-site service, which is provided throughout Europe, avoids excessive CO2 pollution. There is no need to carry materials long distances. ARENA is right there, where it is needed; and
- ARENA is a zero-waste concept. We can reuse all materials – only dust and memories remain.
Case study: Artificial turf reuse in Östersund
Östersund Municipality, Sweden, needed to renew the four-year-old turf at Jämtkraft Arena to meet the highest quality requirements. The two fields that needed to be replaced were used by both the top men’s and women’s football teams. New artificial turf was installed at the main arena and, to improve the lifespan of the adjacent artificial turf of the training field, the old turf from the main arena was rolled up and reinstalled upon it.
Works were completed in two weeks to avoid a break in football games and training. As the turf from both fields was to be reused, removal had to ensure the highest degree of quality.
The quality of both artificial turf fields was significantly increased in a very short time. Moreover, a third football field will be built with used turf from the training field. Overall, the project proved to be a fine example of a football club gaining more playing and training areas by reusing their materials.
New business models
With the advantages ASIE has compared to alternative solutions, new business models have been developed. 5G Sport artificial turf field – a next-generation football field with a lease agreement – is an example of an approach for the future wherein many of the products and services will be leased. For the first time a football field can be leased for up to 60 months. The simple reason why the leasing service hasn’t yet been offered is the lack of possibilities to remove installed turf in a way in which it can be reinstalled with the same level of quality. With ARENA technology, it is now possible. Temporarily removable turf with leasing concepts have been installed by ASIE in many indoor sporting arenas, where clients have a need to use the surface for multiple purposes.
Another version of leasing is the rental of an artificial turf field for short time. A good example for this was the case in Latvia. The prolonged renovation works did not allow usage of the field and the rented artificial turf was the only solution because a playing surface was urgently needed in the area.
The temporary field was installed for a six-month period, after which the rented turf will be rolled up and the reconstruction works could be finished by installing a long-term option. The rented turf can then be reinstalled in another new place.
ASIE also offers a concept for the smart city environment, focusing on reducing CO2 emissions. This is the same priority as the ARENA concept is based upon. We can resurface the field in seven days, reducing CO2 emissions significantly and reusing the materials. The mobile recycling factory, which uses solar energy, will be opened soon in Spain in co-operation with a local industrial park, bringing the CO2 emissions to their lowest possible level. The plastic granulate is produced from worn out or damaged artificial turf, which is a good raw material for the local plastics industry. No water is used and the complete process is without any leftovers as ASIE’s services are zero-waste.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 SME Instrument under grant agreement No 726618.
