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NEW ARTIFICIAL TURF FROM OLD PLASTIC WASTE?
INITIAL PILOT PROJECTS AT TSG 1899 HOFFENHEIM AND SV HAMMERSCHMIEDE Author
Rolf Haas, Deputy Chairman of IAKS Deutschland e.V.
Contact
Kai Weber-Gemmel, FieldTurf, kai.weber-gemmel@tarkett.com
Artificial turf pitches are of great importance because they can be put to intense use, are not affected by the weather and are functionally suitable for sport. They are used for training and competition in various sports, including football, hockey, tennis, American football and rugby and on numerous multi-purpose playing surfaces. Depending on the intensity of their use and maintenance, artificial turf pitches have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, after which the surface has to be replaced. When selecting a new product, there is growing interest in the question „How GREEN is a modern artificial turf?“
The raw material from which the plastic for the production of plastic turf fibres is obtained is a decisive factor. The focus is on how petroleum can be replaced as the raw material for the plastic turf fibre. The research and development department of Morton Extrusionstechnik GmbH (MET) in A btsteinach is working on this challenge. Through its cooperation with TotalEnergies, a solution is emerging: Pyrolysis oil as the new raw material Pyrolysis oil is obtained by recycling mixed plastic waste, also known as feedstock recycling. Chemical recycling is a more environmentally friendly alternative to incinerating, landfilling or exporting plastic waste. 88
The SURETECTM fibre Morton Extrusionstechnik has developed a new plastic turf fibre with plastics from pyrolysis oil: the SURETEC TM fibre = Sustainable – Recycling – Technology fibre. The innovative fibre can consist of up to 100 % recycled plastic and scores on the following points: • The fibre makes a positive contribution to environmental protection, as the raw material used is obtained by recycling plastic waste, • reduces carbon emissions, as the plastic waste is not incinerated but converted into a new raw material, • ensures an artificial turf of virgin quality, as the artificial turf fibre made from pyrolysis oil has the same properties as products made from fossil resources, sb 5/2021
