The artificial turf of the future comes from Aachen

European Football Championship 2024 on unsustainable hybrid grass

When the best soccer players in Europe search for the new European champion in the coming weeks, they will be playing on ultra-modern hybrid pitches, whether in Berlin, Munich or elsewhere. Hybrid? Yes, hybrid. On such pitches, individual synthetic grass strips are mixed in with the natural turf, which is extensively watered, fertilized and even illuminated in order to provide the best possible conditions for the footballers. What is left by the wayside is the issue of sustainability. The natural-artificial mixture is difficult to dispose of and requires energy-intensive maintenance, explains Dr. Franz Pursche from the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University.

Conventional artifical grass contains microplastics

Pursche is an amateur footballer and professional researcher. And as a textile technician, he has dealt intensively with soccer grass, or more precisely with artificial grass. When new sports areas are built, artificial grass is more than ever the surface of choice because it is very easy to maintain and can be played on regardless of the weather. However, artificial grass in its tried and tested form also has the flaw that the plastic for the fibres and base, an elastic supporting layer and stabilizing backing layer, is made from fossil materials. In addition, a so-called infill is required, usually made from synthetic granulate, sometimes also from organic material or sand, which spreads everywhere in our natural environment as microplastics

Bio Turf as sustainable alternative to conventional artifical grass

The ban on synthetic granulate means that new artificial grass pitches will be banned by 2031 at the latest. However, every new artificial grass pitch should be built in a future-proof and environmentally friendly way before 2031. This is where the scientists at the ITA and the TFI Institute for Soil Systems at RWTH Aachen University come into play. Together with the company Morton Extrusionstechnik (MET), they have developed BioTurf, a sustainable alternative. BioTurf is an artificial turf system made from bio-based polymers and, for the first time, no longer requires any infill material. This combination is a world first and the result of a project in the BIOTEXTFUTURE innovation area, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Enormous effect for the environment

The effect on the environment is enormous. With regard to the elastic filler, a loss and thus a refill requirement of 70 grams per square meter, or 500 kilograms per field, is calculated per year. This also corresponds to the amount that could potentially end up in the environment as microplastics, says Dr. Claudia Post from TFI. If you multiply 500 kilograms by an estimated 25,500 artificial grass pitches across the EU, the potential for reducing the impact on our environment becomes clear. With BioTurf, the Aachen-based researchers are presenting a sustainable solution that can be laid on the sub-structure of existing artificial grass pitches and that is economically attractive. Not only in terms of production and installation, but also in terms of operation, as there is no need to refill granulate.

Cagesoccer-Platz mit Bio Turf am HSZ großer Erfolg

Für Fußballspielende wichtig: Der Belag lässt sich wie jeder andere bespielen, egal ob beim Laufen, Passen oder Schießen, es gebt keine Unterschiede, berichtet Dr. Marco Schmitt vom STO, Lehrstuhl für Technik und Organisationssoziologie der RWTH. Die Soziologie begleiten die Umsetzung der Projekt-Ergebnisse aus BIOTEXFUTURE wissenschaftlich und beim Projekt BioTurf auch selbst ganz praktisch. Schmitt bespielt den neuen Kunstrasen mit seiner eigenen Mannschaft regelmäßig, am Hochschulsportzentrum (HSZ), wo Morton Extrusionstechnik einen Cage-Soccerplatz mit BioTurf verlegt hat. Die perfekte Möglichkeit, um das Ergebnis des Forschungsprojekts schon heute sicht- und erlebbar zu machen.

University sports sets an example in the university's sustainability strategy

If you take a closer look at BioTurf, you will notice, for example, that different grass blade lengths are used. Short, heavily curled blades support longer blades. A simple approach that significantly increases playing comfort. All FIFA quality requirements and standards are met. Ramon Marställer, Head of Press and Public Relations at the HSZ, reports that it is a great story that the university's research can be used directly at the HSZ and contribute to the university's sustainability strategy. The demand for cage soccer is enormous and the new pitch is extremely popular. It's a perfect fit, he emphasizes.

A contribution to a more sustainable society

Last year, the RWTH Aachen University adopted its sustainability strategy. In order to achieve the goal of a climate-neutral, more sustainable RWTH, the university has agreed on specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and scheduled targets. In addition, appropriate measures have been defined that will operationalize the activities required to achieve these goals. Sustainability in research can take different forms at RWTH. The largest area at RWTH is research for sustainable development. This category includes the many projects in which scientists work in interdisciplinary teams to address the major social challenges of our time. In particular, the example of BioTurf shows how research can have a direct impact on our everyday lives and that there are often more sustainable solutions. It is even greater when these are implemented directly in RWTH companies such as the HSZ and can therefore contribute to a more sustainable society, says Katharina Jochim, Head of the Sustainability and University Governance Unit.

Bio Turf as an example of the circular economy

BioTurf is almost completely recyclable and therefore also makes a valuable contribution to the circular economy. Bio-based also means that the turf does not use palm oil from Asian plantations or sugar cane products declared as waste from South America, where they compete with farmland for food. BioTurf is an innovative, holistic solution that uses rapeseed oil and agricultural waste that does not compete with food production, explain Dr. Claudia Post and Dirk Hanuschik from TFI.

New fiber bonding process ensures sustainable production

The key feature is a new process for so-called fiber bonding: thermobonding. Thanks to this new bonding technology, the latex backing can be completely eliminated. The traditional latex process is very energy-intensive due to the necessary drying process and is very difficult to recycle. Dr. Ulrich Berghaus from Morton Extrusionstechnik GmbH says that the "Design for Recycling" approach also represents an enormous step forward here.

Soccer of the future must become more sustainable

Whether and when a European Championship will be played on BioTurf is, of course, pure speculation. But the fact is that individual pitches in professional soccer, especially training pitches, are already made of artificial grass. For amateur sports, clubs, cities and local authorities, converting their existing artificial grass pitches will be a huge task in the coming years. With BioTurf from Aachen, however, an environmentally friendly and playable alternative is already available today. Soccer in the future can - and must - become more sustainable with this development from Aachen.