NEWS
Major new 3G fears
Fears emerge over absence of recycling plan for 3G pitches
Major new fears have emerged about the environmental toll of 3G pitches on generations to come, with a television documentary having revealed that there is no viable plan to recycle the huge numbers of surfaces the English Football Association is investing in heavily.
The Dutch investigative programme Zembla discovered two enormous dumps of worn-out plastic pitches on the site of companies in Holland that were supposed to be recycling them. The FA plans to build £200 million of 3G pitches in thirty towns and cities across football "hubs" over the next ten years, despite concerns over the possible effect of rubber crumb, the 20,000 shredded tyres used on each pitch as infill.
The T elegraph has seen a tender put out on
behalf of the FA, as well as the Rugby Football Union, England Hockey and Sport England in February 2016, to recycle 3G pitches in the United Kingdom which, it is understood, has not yet been awarded. The document says there is “a lack of a coherent approach for the recycling/re-use of old artificial grass pitches” in the UK and that more than 150 will have to be replaced every year.
There is only one recycling plant in Europe that can break down and purify the different elements of 3G pitches, located in Herning in Denmark. The operator, Re-Match, had hoped to build another plant in the UK, but is yet to reach an agreement that would guarantee it the necessary supply of obsolete pitches to make the investment.
In a statement, the FA said: “The FA, as a partner with other sporting governing bodies, has a
contract in place with chosen providers and contractors to ensure that it is a legal requirement for all 3G pitches to be disposed of responsibly. We also request written statements and details from them about how this is done.”
The FA is weighing up a £1 billion deal with Fulham owner Shahid Khan to sell Wembley Stadium, with the profits to be spent on grassroots football, including the building of more 3G pitches.
As well as unproven alleged links between rubber crumb and cancer, the Zembla investigation has discovered a disturbing environmental impact of 3G pitches beyond their useful life as surfaces on which to play sport. The average lifespan is around ten years.
The Zembla investigation, “The Turf Mountain”, centred upon two Dutch companies, TUF and Vink, who removed 3G pitches which were found to have no long-term recycling plan and were stockpiling pitches in conditions dangerous to workers and the environment. Local authorities conceded they were fearful of shutting down the companies in question in case the cost of disposing safely of the stockpiles of obsolete pitches fell to them.
The T
elegraph spoke to one company in southern England which specialises in removing
pitches and claims that it recycles all of the material it brings in. The old artificial turf is used in the manufacture of hanging baskets or is sold to golf clubs, farms and horse-riding centres for use as durable flooring.
Even this re-use is a controversial subject, with some arguing that, under European Union law, the turf cannot be resold in its original form. The industry body, the European Synthetic Turf Organisation, stipulating that when an artificial pitch “reaches the end of its service life it must be classified as a waste and any materials separated from the surface are also classified as waste until they have been fully recovered”.
One individual, who asked not to be named, working in the recycling of 3G pitches in the UK described it as a “massive issue” and said that, in the next two decades, the problem “will escalate beyond belief”. "Most surfaces will have to be relaid in the next ten to fifteen years and there will have to be a home for them. You cannot begin to imagine how much. You will be able to fill Wembley Stadium [with artificial turf].”
A FIFA report last year found that, since 2006, 3,437 pitches had been certified with the world governing body in 149 countries. The UK and Holland were identified by FIFA among the most prolific installers of 3G pitches.
ICL Scholars revealed
ICL Scholars revealed for Continue to Learn at BTME 2019
BIGGA and ICL have revealed the five successful recipients of the third ICL Continue to Learn scholarship.
The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn education programme, taking place at BTME 2019 in Harrogate.
The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights' hotel accommodation and a 15-hour education bundle.
The successful BIGGA members are:
1. Blair Shearer, assistant greenkeeper, Dunbar Golf Club
2. Dan Dooley, greenkeeper, Mount Murray Golf Club
12 PC October/November 2018 The 2018 ICL Scholars with Sami Strutt and ICL’s Ed Carter
3. David Stewart, deputy head greenkeeper, Walmley Golf Club
4. Jorge Manso, deputy head greenkeeper, Coombe Wood Golf Club
5. Andrew Brown, course manager, Boundary Lakes
Sami Strutt, BIGGA’s head of member development, said: “The ICL Continue to Learn
Scholarship is a great initiative, providing five BIGGA members with the chance to attend education classes that have been specifically designed with greenkeepers in mind.”
“Networking with like-minded colleagues and peers is a fabulous way to ignite the passion of this great industry for the year ahead. Our thanks go to the sponsor, ICL, for enabling this desirable opportunity.”
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