The key is design for recycling, rather than simply the absence of infill.
2.1 Reduced Material Complexity
A non-infill system removes loose performance infill from the playing surface.
That can simplify end-of-life processing because there is no large quantity of loose rubber or sand that needs to be recovered from the turf before further processing.
However, non-infill alone does not make a turf product recyclable.
A non-infill product could still contain multiple polymers, coatings, adhesives, and backing materials that complicate recycling.
2.2 More Compatible Polymer Components
One promising approach is to design the turf with compatible polymer families across the fiber, backing, and other structural components.
For example, a system based predominantly on compatible polyolefin materials may have advantages for mechanical recycling compared with a structure combining several incompatible polymers and thermoset coatings.
After the turf reaches the end of its service life, it can potentially be:
collected → cleaned → shredded → processed → pelletized → reused
The recycled material may then be used in applications such as:
- New turf components
- Plastic profiles
- Industrial products
- Landscaping products
- Other suitable molded or extruded products
The actual application depends on the quality and composition of the recovered material.
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