A conventional synthetic sports field may contain several different components:
- Synthetic grass fibers
- Primary backing
- Secondary backing
- Latex or polyurethane coating
- Sand
- Rubber or other performance infill
These materials perform different functions during the turf’s service life, but their combination can make end-of-life processing more complicated.
Before recycling, the old turf may need to undergo several processes, such as:
collection → infill removal → cleaning → separation → shredding → material sorting → reprocessing
The more heterogeneous the product, the more difficult and potentially expensive this process can become.
It is therefore too simplistic to say that “traditional artificial turf cannot be recycled.” Some conventional turf components and systems can be recovered or mechanically recycled, but the practical recycling route depends on the specific construction and available recycling infrastructure.
Leave a Reply