New era of sustainable artificial grass infills

Seinäjoki, Finland

SALTEX OY INTRODUCES INNOVATIVE BIOFLEX™ INFILL

Author and photos Saltex Oy, FI – 62900 Alajärvi, saltex@saltex.fi, www.saltex.fi, www.unisport.com

The changing legislation and ongoing debate on microplastics have made all communities and clubs more aware of sustainability when installing artificial grass pitches. Decision makers in the Nordic countries are now showing more interest than ever in alternative sustainable infills. Many new infills made of biodegradable plastics, cork, olive stones and wood have entered the market over the last few years, and choosing the best option can be difficult.

Finland- based Saltex Oy – part of the Nordic Unisport Group – wanted to take on the challenge of developing not only a sustainable option but one that would be accepted by players as well. As a member of FIFA’s technical committee, it has always been Saltex’s goal to develop, especially for players, playing surfaces that meet and exceed sports functional criteria at the highest levels while taking account of players’ safety and the environment.

The company’s new high-performance innovative infill called Saltex BioFlex™ ticks all the boxes and has already demonstrated its remarkable features on over 70 pitches. The innovative product is a surface-treated mineral that is easy-going on players and reduces artificial turf wear.

In addition to its good playing characteristics, BioFlex™ has many sustainable features. Due to the design of the infill, no additional stabilisation or performance infill is required, and because of its weight, infill migration is also significantly reduced. The infill has a unique ability to stay on the pitch because of its weight, which is 3-5 times greater than that of traditional black rubber, thus preventing entrainment from the playing surface to changing rooms, cars, homes, washing machines and eventually the environment. Saltex BioFlex™ is also fully recyclable and doesn’t pulverise under high pressure.

This is what clubs and players say When it was time earlier in 2022 for SJK, Seinäjoki, Finland and Mjøndalen Football club, Mjøndalen, Norway to choose a new artificial grass system for their FIFA Quality PRO stadiums, they both chose Saltex BioFlex™ as their infill option. In both stadiums, football is played on all levels in addition to professional football.

Berenike Wulfsberg, then General Manager of Mjøndalen Football, says: “In Mjøndalen we take sustainable development seriously. When they introduced BioFlex™ to us we were immediately sold. There is no other product in the market that would have met our needs like BioFlex™ did. Both environmentally and performance-wise. It truly was a no-brainer.”

The municipality of Seinäjoki, Finland also chose Saltex BioFlex™ for their stadium because it conformed to the

Mjøndalen, Norway

town’s environmental goals and they were convinced of its excellent quality.

The feedback from users has been great. Vegard Hansen, former Head Coach of Mjøndalen Football Club, has been amazed by how pleasant a sustainable infill can be to play on. Tore Hilmarsen, a player in Tolga-Vingelen, Norway confirms: “The future is BioFlex™. It is much better to play on than black traditional rubber granules. The ball flows better, the field is faster and it is soft and good to run on. We tested many fields before we decided, but none was even close to BioFlex™.”

The infill also received good feedback from owners and field staff. Tom Hagen, COB of FUVO Norway, states: “After we got our BioFlex™ field, everyday life has become much easier. Those who wash clothes and clean the clubhouse have no infill around them. Everything stays on the field. Gone are the days with expensive and ugly piles of black rubber granules all around. The response from the players is also fantastic! A very good new alternative to black rubber granules.” Sustainable innovations Saltex Oy, established in Finland in 1991 and currently part of the Nordic Unisport Group, is known for its development and production of innovative and high-end artificial turf components including artificial turf, shock pads and infills. In all of its innovations, Saltex considers the life-cycle aspect of the pitches and, together with its partner HGO, has for example developed the world’s first fully electric installation machinery for artificial grass fields called E’nstallation. Over 20 venues have chosen E’nstallation as their installation method this year and, next year, many more will follow.

As a FIFA Preferred Provider and a founding member of the ESTC, Saltex Oy is also continuously involved in developing better recycling options for pitches and contributes to the EU’s discussion on microplastics. The company has decided to stay one step ahead in the industry’s sustainable innovations and aims to develop artificial grass systems that meet and exceed the expectations of players and owners of sports facilities throughout the world.