Recycling Netwerk warns against excessive restriction of environmental research into artificial grass pitches

Recycling Netwerk is concerned about a number of looming shortcomings. The environmental organisation has called on the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management not to restrict the new RIVM study on a number of crucial points.

“It is positive that the Ministry of I&W has decided to have a study conducted into the environmental situation around these artificial turf pitches. We endorse the importance of a rapid delivery of research results. However, we do have reservations about this study of only 10 of the more than 2,000 artificial turf pitches. This concerns, among other things, which sports fields and which emissions are being investigated”, says Robbert van Duin of Recycling Netwerk.

Selection

In a detailed letter to the Ministry of I&W, Recycling Netwerk points out various aspects that require more or better attention. The research results will be heavily determined by the selection of the sports fields that will be investigated.

According to Recycling Netwerk, this selection must take proper account of the vast differences between the various locations. This concerns both the different types of rubber waste that may have been used, as well as the varying characteristics of the locations themselves, such as the local soil conditions.

The environmental organisation also stresses that it should not only concern the environmental impact of rubber waste applied to the artificial turf, but also the effects of rubber waste incorporated into the foundation layer beneath the artificial turf mat.

Another important point is that the study should examine all relevant emissions, so in addition to emissions of zinc and PAHs, for example, also the emissions of mineral oil.

Finally, the environmental organisation points to seasonal influences that make it difficult to arrive at reliable annual figures based on short-term emission measurements, and to the need for a check on the loss of components such as zinc from the rubber granulate that has been in place for a longer period.

With this study, it should then be determined whether and how any follow-up study can be restricted to a selection of hopefully at most a few hundred or perhaps a few dozen suspected pitches, concludes Robbert van Duin.

Read the full letter from Recycling Netwerk to the Ministry of I&W here.

More information:

Robbert van Duin

chairman of Recycling Netwerk

robbertvanduin@recyclingnetwerk.org