Sports fields may look simple, but maintaining them sustainably can be a bigger challenge than it seems. In India, natural grass football fields could use 50,000 litres of water weekly during the hottest months of summer for irrigation. The amount is substantial for cities suffering from water shortages. It is in such circumstances that the playing field surface selection makes a lot of sense. Once installed, artificial turf does not need regular watering or irrigation. Occasionally, there will be some cleaning and cooling required, but the overall demand for water remains much lower than in the case of natural grass. For schools, sports clubs and municipalities, it is an important factor.
The environmental impact is not limited to water use. Artificial turf consists of polyethylene fibres, backing and infill. If the system allows for that, these materials can be recycled and reused. Recycling facilities can help ensure that turf is not simply disposed of in landfills but can instead be repurposed for playground surfaces or other applications. Speaking of quality, poor-quality turf can degrade faster, potentially causing microplastic pollution, whereas high-quality turf combined with proper disposal practices can reduce its environmental impact.
A natural grass football field in India requires between 30,000 to 50,000 litres of water per week during the dry seasons simply to keep it alive. That’s a small reservoir of water per season, which is something many Indian cities would not be able to afford in the summer nowadays.
On the other hand, artificial turf does not require any of that. Once the turf is installed, there is no need for watering every day or using sprinkler systems. Only occasional spraying of dust and cooling the surface is needed – just a small part of what is consumed by natural grasses. This reason alone is enough for many clubs, schools and municipalities to install artificial grass instead of natural grass.
This is where the pleasant surprise comes in. Modern artificial turf is not a mystery material but is made up of distinct layers that can be separated, namely the grass fibres (which are mostly polyethylene), the backing, and the infill. Due to this fact, a good turf system is generally recyclable rather than being sent to a landfill. At the end of its life cycle, depending on use and maintenance – the old grass fibres and backing can be recycled into other materials such as playground surfaces, insulation, or even raw pellets used to make new turf. Artificial sports turf manufacturers who care about their products’ environmental impact have been working their best to design their turf systems with this future recycling in mind.
This is another reason why it is important to choose the right type of turf at the very beginning. The cheaper and worse bonded materials will eventually break down into microplastics, which are harmful both to the field itself and to the surrounding soil. Turf constructed using certified fibres and backing will last longer and recycle cleaner when its life is over.
If there is no fertilizer runoff contaminating nearby water sources, no fuel-burning mowers operating once a week, and no chemicals required to fight weeds and insects. Over the span of a decade, for facilities that operate all year round like football turfs, cricket nets, and multi-purpose courts, this translates to a considerably lower environmental impact compared to a natural field of the same size.
None of this implies that synthetic turf is “perfect” though. Just like any other construction material, its environmental impact largely depends on quality, installation, and disposal. This is exactly why the choice of the manufacturer and contractor is just as important as the material itself.
When you are planning artificial turf construction for your facility, consider asking a couple of straightforward questions: What is the fibre composed of? Is the backing material recyclable? Does the installer have an end-of-life disposal strategy for the turf or is it simply dumped? An honest installer will be able to provide a straight answer to each question rather than making you believe vague assurances.
At Surekha Exports, we have been constructing sports surfaces across India for more than twenty years, using only FIFA-approved internationally tested materials which are both durable and recyclable. And a truly sustainable sports field is much more than just a saving in the present – it is how this field will be disposed of in the future. Wanting to construct or reconstruct a sustainable sports facility? Contact us for a free consultation on materials and water savings.
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