From Artificial Turf to a Resource: Chemical Recycling for the Sports Fields of Tomorrow

⚽️ Even though the World Cup is over for Germany, sports remain a priority for ARCUS.

🔍 What actually happens to synthetic turf fields when they reach the end of their useful life?

♻️ The RewitAl project, co-funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg and the EU, is addressing this question. ARCUS is providing scientific and technical support to Aalen University of Applied Sciences—Technology, Business, and Health.
More about the project:
👉https://lnkd.in/eqzeBxHu
👉https://lnkd.in/e3-YzTuS

🎯 The focus is on a mixed plastic fraction rich in polyolefins, derived from the demolition of synthetic turf sports fields, which—due to its complex composition—can only be mechanically recycled at a very high technical and, consequently, financial cost.

🧪 The goal of our work is to investigate the technical feasibility of chemical recycling for this waste fraction. To this end, we conducted extensive material analyses and, in collaboration with the Institute of Technical Chemistry at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), carried out experiments—ranging from material preparation to pilot-scale pyrolysis tests.
👉https://lnkd.in/ewn8ecpm

📈 Even though our final analyses are still underway, the preliminary results already demonstrate the potential of chemical recycling for such unusual material streams.

🏆 For us, this is a real home run when it comes to resource conservation, the circular economy, and innovative recycling solutions.

Read the LinkedIn article