Building for tomorrow. FieldTurf’s commitment to sustainability
FieldTurf’s promise to keep players safe on turf has evolved into an obsession — one with a singular focus to completely eliminate potential to harm not just people, but the environment too. FieldTurf strives for the lowest impact on people and the planet — from Cradle to Cradle™ manufacturing, to circular design, to the utmost care for those who play on and handle FieldTurf products.
When it comes to waste, FieldTurf’s mission is simple: create a future where no products ever make it to a landfill. Getting there isn’t just a journey; it’s a quest. It’s why FieldTurf has devoted research and development efforts to tackle the complexity required to recycle old turf. It’s also why FieldTurf repurposes key materials from end-of-life installations to create the advanced components of future products. With such initiatives, FieldTurf continues to be at the forefront of developing technology to expand end-of-life turf applications — transforming would-be waste and dispersed materials into useful new products with renewed value. As a result, FieldTurf has developed a value-added EuCertPlast recycling process for artificial turf, named ProMax R (standing for Recycled EOL).
EuCertPlast is a European certification program for the recycling of plastic waste. FieldTurf, through the plant MET (Morton ExtrusionsTeknik), is the first company that has been certified by EuCertPlast for the recycling of post-consumer artificial turf. With this certification it is guaranteed that the plastic waste from old artificial turf is re-used in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. EuCertPlast sets great value upon the traceability of the recycling process. By this certification it is guaranteed:
- That the material from old artificial turf is not disposed on a landfill or incinerated, but recycled.
- That there are defined incoming controls for the incoming old artificial turf material and quality controls for the resulting recycling product.
- That every step during the recycling process is documented including a mass balance.
When contracted with our certified regional partners to remove our clients old artificial turf fields, we can, in turn recycle the artificial turf into ProMax R, certified by Eu CertPlast. As part of this program, our customers receive a certificate that the amount of removed old artificial turf has been recycled including product name and lot number of the new product. The share of the recycled material in the new product amounts to at least 15 weight percent.
FieldTurf continues to work hard to develop other applications for EOL turf both for sports fields and for other industrial products.
FieldTurf partners with Richie Gray as its Director of Player Experience
FieldTurf, the world leader in Rugby, is pleased to announce a partnership with Richie Gray as its Director of Player Experience – Rugby. Gray’s experience and leadership within the global Rugby community will help FieldTurf better serve the needs of current and future clients.
This historic partnership is the launch pad for FieldTurf’s new Rugby centric innovation program – called Scrum 2.0, which is focused on gaining a deeper understanding of Rugby player preference with an objective of delivering the highest performance turf systems the sport has ever seen.
“Richie Gray is a true innovator and through his company, GSI Performance, has quite simply changed the sport of Rugby,” said FieldTurf Regional Business Director Paul Fraser. “Richie’s core values around development and innovation are keenly aligned with ours, which serves as a strong platform for this unique collaboration. We are proud to again be leading the industry in the creation of sport-specific solutions, this time for rugby.”
“Partnering with FieldTurf was an easy decision for me and my company”, said Gray. “Having experienced their product first-hand and understanding FieldTurf’s commitment to innovation and customer service, makes this an exciting opportunity. FieldTurf is the clear leader and I look forward to helping them better serve the Rugby market”.
Gray is currently the Skills/Contact Coach at Montpellier Herault Rugby in The French Top 14 League. He was the Skills/Breakdown Coach from 2013-2016 for The Springboks and The Blitzbokke South African 7s Team. He consulted to his home country of Scotland for the 2016 & 2017 seasons and in 2016 also consulted to Miami Dolphins for the 2016 season. Through his Company, he has rewritten key coaching methodology for a range of collision sports and has also developed over 30 Technical Training Aids to assist and develop player performance and technique. Gray’s products are used globally by the top teams within Rugby Union, Rugby League and the NFL.
Kilmarnock FC Embrace FieldTurf Innovation
FieldTurf Core will be installed as the new playing surface at Rugby Park stadium this summer, home of Scottish Premiership team, Kilmarnock FC. Following a rigorous selection process, Core was seen as the obvious choice, as the most advanced high-quality synthetic turf on the market. Kilmarnock joins FC Barcelona, Everton and Ajax in choosing Core – the industry’s most exciting fiber innovation in years which combines market-leading durability with superb performance characteristics.
As the pioneer in innovative synthetic turf technology, FieldTurf has more than 25 years’ experience and more than 20,000 installations worldwide. A member of FIFA’s quality programme, FieldTurf has more than 350 certified fields and nearly 900 certified systems which meet the stringent technical characteristics of top level football.
The system chosen by Kilmarnock is Vertex Core; an elite dual fiber system which has been engineered to deliver world-class performance, playability and aesthetic qualities. Featuring unrivalled technical properties such as optimum ball roll, reduced infill splash and enhanced infill encapsulation, Vertex Core meets the most stringent standards of FIFA’s Quality Pro programme for elite-level football. Rugby Park stadium will be the first such stadium field in Scotland and will undoubtedly raise the bar in terms of synthetic turf performance in the country.
FieldTurf partners, Allsports Construction & Maintenance Ltd, will deliver the project this summer. Allsports already have significant experience in the elite stadia market, having previously worked with Kilmarnock in addition to Falkirk, Airdrie, Stenhousemuir & Alloa football clubs amongst many others.
In addition to showcasing the synthetic turf industry’s most resilient and innovative fiber, the system will also feature Murfitts PRO-gran infill. PRO-gran combines the exceptional dynamic properties of rubber, which is then coated in polyurethane resulting in a less abrasive & cooler playing surface. Not only is PRO-gran guaranteed to remain in perfect condition for a minimum of 10 years, but it has also been thoroughly tested and approved for use by the Dutch Soil Decree, and exceeds Europe’s toughest toxicology standards for consumer products (REACH 1272/2013 as an article).
Kilmarnock’s stadium will also benefit from FieldTurf’s Genius pitch monitoring system. This game-changing technology is designed to help maximize the longevity, playability and safety of a sports field; as well as allow facility owners to track maintenance, plan more efficiently and monitor usage. Genius is the latest in FieldTurf’s innovations that help change the game for facility owners. Driven to continuously evolve the world of sports surfacing, Genius is a monumental advancement helping shape the future of field management.
Why the Fiber Performance Index Will Change How People Buy Artificial Turf
Almost everything we buy today — from books to cars — is subject to a rating system designed to help consumers invest in the best possible product. The more reliable the source or individual reviewer, the greater the public trust put in that particular ranking.
For years, organizations investing in artificial turf, did not have an objective source of information to turn to when it came to factors such as durability and resilience in competing surfaces. Thankfully this has now changed however, with the advent of Labosport’s Fiber Performance Index.
Responding to the needs of architects, facility owners and venue operators, Labosport — a sport-surface certification company — introduced the Fiber Performance Index in late 2015. Considered the first true measurement of fiber quality, the FPI establishes a rating for turf fiber and helps turf consumers understand and weigh the qualities of an individual product’s turf fibers.
FieldTurf is actively involved in the FPI programme, which as an independent concept, focuses on three key factors:
Durability,
measured by UV exposure and fiber wear resistance
Resilience,
measured by the recovery of the fiber after compression
Softness,
measured by the feel of the fiber
These key aspects are measured by 4 specific tests:
• Tear: Measures a fiber’s cross tenacity; this test is commonly used by the plastics industry for quality control purposes.
• Recovery: Measures fiber resilience after an exhaustive 6,000-cycle compression test; this test uses specially designed
equipment to reproduce athletes running on a field.
• UV: Measures a fiber’s resistance to UV exposure; this test is designed to match the most demanding standards.
• Feel: Measures a fiber’s softness using an innovative method from the consumer goods industry; qualified technicians conduct this test, and results are processed through a statistical model to ensure repeatability and accuracy.
Fiber is measured after undergoing this battery of tests and is then assigned a grade based on a scale of 1 to 100 in each category. The result is a final Fiber Performance Index number, which describes the overall fiber quality. The higher the number, the better.
An example of a FPI score would look like this:
Tear: 51
Recovery: 82
UV: 48
Feel: 62
Fiber Performance Index: 62
It’s important to remember that the choice of fiber is only one of many important decisions that need to be made when installing an artificial turf field. As significant as the FPI is, other components of the turf system — such as infill, backing, drainage and construction — are equally important. The best combination of them all results in the artificial turf field of your dreams.
At FieldTurf, we continue to certify our systems according to the FPI programme, making it easier for all project stakeholders to make an informed choice.
Known as the best training center in France, Olympique Lyonnais chose FieldTurf to equip 5 training pitches
Olympique Lyonnais chose quality and performance by opting for FieldTurf’s artificial grass pitches in order to equip its brand new training centre. An ambitious project for OL, which after being elected best training centre for the third constructive year in a row (French Football Federation), are building the first multi-surface professional national training centre.
The huge complex named “Groupama OL Academy” will be located at Meyzieu, not far from the new stadium. Equipped with a surface of nearly 68000m² it will harbour 6 training turfs (5 of which are equipped with FieldTurf 360 XL Cyro), locker rooms, accommodation, a diner and a recreation room. The launch is scheduled for September 2016.
The innovative FieldTurf 360 XL system, which has been chosen by the club to equip the synthetic pitches of the entire centre, uses a thicker fiber in the shape of a diamond built from a unique polymer, created especially for sports surfaces. This extremely resistant and resilient fiber provides players with exceptional comfort and allows for optimal playing performances at the highest level. Tested according to the Lisport method (wear test), the 360 XL fiber displays unequalled durability after 180000 cycles (the equivalent of over 30 years of use) and is holder of the highest number of certifications amongst synthetic turfs on the market (FIFA Quality, FIFA Quality Pro and World Rugby).
The FieldTurf Cryo infill (based on cryogenic SBR), chosen by the club, offers exceptional sports characteristics and gives synthetic turf an incomparable stability while allowing an outstanding shock absorption and extraordinary durability and drainage characteristics.This unique and patented system has already proven itself as it has previously been chosen by many professional clubs, including the Paris Saint Germain (training centre), the Reims stadium (training centre), the FC Barcelona (training centre) and the US Oyonnax (Charles Mathon stadium).
In order to realize this project FieldTurf Tarkett worked with long-standing partner Parcs & Sports who with decades of expertise in constructing sports turfs, advised the club throughout the project.
OL has chosen to renew their trust in FieldTurf Tarkett, which has been a partner of the club since 2010. By only selecting the very latest generation of synthetic turf, they keep on innovating, allowing themselves to succeed in reinforcing their leadership in the domain of professional training.
FieldTurf Tarkett is extremely proud to partake in this project and to contribute into writing the club’s history.
* cryogenic particules of cahoutchouc
The Hockey World League Final on the FieldTurf brand new pitch
FieldTurf Hockey Gold system hosts the FIH competition’s final at the International Hockey Stadium in Raipur, India.
From November 27 through December 6, the FIH Hockey World League Final is held at the new world-class facility inaugurated in November by the Chief Minister of Raipur. Leading international teams including Olympic champions Germany and host nation India enjoy the superb FieldTurf Hockey Gold pitch of the International Hockey Stadium named after Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
This major project, comprising supply and installation of the artificial turf and a sub-base, has been completed by Great Sports Infra, India’s leading sports infrastructure solutions provider. Great Sports Infra, having introduced the FieldTurf 3G systems, now possess a portfolio of over 5,500 installations in South Asia.
The Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Hockey Stadium boasts a spectacular Hockey Gold field in blue colour; with the green Hockey Gold surroundings the playing area makes 6388.2 m². FieldTurf’s Hockey Gold product is created with a unique texturized monofilament yarn, which offers the highest level of sporting performance with a fast, smooth ball roll and unique “spring” necessary for the competitions of this level. The latest R&D developments allow FieldTurf to minimize skin friction and abrasion to ensure the genuine comfort of players.
The FieldTurf hockey field has been certified by FIH, and Great Sports Infra has been awarded a certificate of excellence by the local government for this impressive professional sports facility.
About FieldTurf
FieldTurf is the inventor and global leader in 3G artificial turf with over 10,000 installations worldwide. FieldTurf is part of Tarkett Sports, the sports division of the Tarkett Group. FieldTurf established its range of synthetic turf products designed for football, rugby and hockey at all levels of the game, and has a complete range for tennis, golf and landscaping.
FieldTurf is a partner of FIFA, World Rugby, FIH, ITF and FFF, and a member of ESTO. Over 200 FieldTurf football pitches are certified by FIFA. World’s leading clubs and training centres have selected FieldTurf, including PSG FC, FC Barcelona, FC Groningen, Newtown AFC, AFC Ajax, US Oyonnax, Cardiff Blues and Clairefontaine French national training centre.
Jury finds Astroturf Guilty of Violating FieldTurf Patent
Awards damages of at least $30 million for willful patent infringement.
FieldTurf, a Tarkett Sports company and a global market leader in artificial turf, announces that on October 9th it was awarded $30 million in damages in its patent infringement case against AstroTurf, LLC.
The case was filed in June of 2010 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. After a month long trial, the jury found AstroTurf infringed FieldTurf U.S. Patent No. 6,723,412. The jury determined AstroTurf’s infringement was “willful,” which allows for a trebling of damages. The jury also ruled in FieldTurf’s favor on AstroTurf’s counterclaim.
“We are grateful for the jury’s efforts and their attention to the evidence. While litigation was a last resort, the process confirmed the validity of our ‘412 patent’ and the significant damages awarded confirm the importance of this technology in delivering innovative artificial turf systems that provide optimum playability and safety” said Eric Daliere, President of Tarkett Sports. “This victory reinforces our commitment to protect our intellectual property and innovation,” added Marie-France Nantel, Tarkett Sports General Counsel.
Additional issues remain for the court to rule upon that could impact the amount of the award, and any final ruling and award in the case is subject to appeal.
FieldTurf was represented by Winston & Strawn LLP in this matter.
The Amlin Challenge Cup Final is played on FieldTurf synthetic turf
FieldTurf makes history! Never before has a European final of a professional major sport like rugby been played on synthetic turf. On Friday 23rd May, Cardiff Arms Park, equipped with FieldTurf’s state-of-the-art Optimum 65 RGF surface, will host the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Bath Rugby and the Northampton Saints face off in one of the most prestigious European championship, with the amicable consent of the Heineken Cup, both organised by the ERC (European Rugby Cup). It took several years for such a high-level competition to be played on synthetic grass, but performance and security of the surface, supported by several tests certified by the the world governing body for the Game of Rugby Union, the IRB, have convinced both organisers and professional players.
IRB Head of Technical Services, Steve Griffiths, said: “It is very clear in this modern age that the quality of third-generation turf produced and installed by reliable and experienced manufacturers like the IRB preferred turf producers, and in this case FieldTurf, provides a safe and consistent playing surface in all weather conditions.”
The rivals (that are also competing in the Aviva Premiership League, the highest category of the English professional Rugby Football Union) know very well the quality advantages provided by FieldTurf’s synthetic grass system they’ll play on, thanks to the Cardiff Blues players, the tittle defenders.
“I don’t think the players from Northampton Saints or Bath Rugby will have any problems with adapting to the surface and, after all, they will both have played at the Saracens’ home at Allianz Park. I think they’ll enjoy it and everyone can look forward to a very fast and open final […] It is much easier to run on than a grass surface and it is great for the kickers. The ball bounces a little differently, but you soon get used to that”, said Dafydd Hewitt, a Cardiff Blues club player.
So far, only a handful of European championships qualifying matches have been played on synthetic turf. For example, Champions League football matches such as CSKA Moscow against Real Madrid and Spartak Moscow against FC Barcelona, both in 2012, went ahead on the most innovative FieldTurf surfaces.
On Friday, FieldTurf’s synthetic grass will make history once again at Cardiff Arms Park, as one of the top elite professional sports surfaces worldwide. The stage is set for a superb final. Now all we can hope is that the best team wins!
New FIFA 2 Star certification for one of FC Barcelona’s FieldTurf fields
Barcelona’s Sports City has been certified by FIFA with its highest quality distinctive: FIFA 2 Star.
The field, with more than 8,000m2, was installed in 2013 after removing the old turf (also produced by FieldTurf in 2002), levelling the sub-base and placing the most advanced system in the market: FieldTurf Optimum 63 Patented.
The leading product of the synthetic turf market, with 63mm height, has been installed on a natural base, with sewn seams and a patented mixture of silica sand and cryogenic rubber infill. This unparalleled system, the same one that has been installed in the other three FieldTurf fields of FC Barcelona’s Sports City, has overcome the requirements of the highest global football regulator agent, FIFA.
With this quality mark, FIFA guarantees that FC Barcelona’s new field offers the optimum biomechanical performance criteria, such as vertical ball rebound, ball roll, shock absorption, deformation, and rotational resistance. Moreover, the tests confirm that the surface ensures the maximum safety for players, by reducing the risk of injuries.
This is one of the four synthetic turf fields installed by FieldTurf in FC Barcelona’s Sports City complex (Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper) as Official Sports Surfaces Supplier of the Club. Two of them, more than 19,000m2, were installed in 2012. The other two fields installed in 2013, including this last F-11 field certified by FIFA, exceeding 12,500m2. Therefore, we’re talking about nearly 32,000m2 of FieldTurf’s highest performance synthetic turf installed in the Club’s training center. Add to this the VIP maintenance that FieldTurf is regularly applying on these fields, it can be assumed that this important project is positioned in the global elite of sports synthetic turf surfaces.
ESTC – EMEA Synthetic Turf Council
40, rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels T +32 2 880 52 95 E info@estc.info W www.estc.info