The Marktgemeinde Bezau assumes a pioneering role

Austria's first CO2-neutral artificial turf field is located in Vorarlberg

The Austrian Marktgemeinde Bezau in Vorarlberg has a population of just over 2,000 and primarily relies on agriculture and tourism around the Bregenzerwald. Football plays a significant role in the small community: Bezau's players have been active in the Bregenzerwald league for almost 50 years. However, the first sports field was hardly suitable, mainly used for youth games. The foundation of the Verein für Bewegungsspiele (VfB) in 1987 led to the construction of a new sports facility. Since then, the Auto GEMO Arena has been home to the „Wälderhaus VfB Bezau", situated directly on the banks of the River Bregenzer Ach. Unfortunately, the location posed challenges, as severe flooding once submerged and damaged all the sports facilities. During necessary renovations, an artificial turf field was initially installed.

After 16 years of operation, urgent renovations were required in the spring of 2022, especially since the pitch was heavily used, with about 160 children training there three times a week. With the turf’s lifespan already exceeded by two years, deteriorating conditions led to a decline in rental bookings. Initially, moving back to a natural grass pitch was considered; however, the disadvantages—high maintenance costs, shorter seasonal availability, fewer playable hours per year, and no winter play—ultimately led the Bezau council to opt for a modern artificial turf pitch to ensure consistent playing conditions year-round. In partnership with SP Sportanlagenbau Ges.m.b.H. from Mautern an der Donau, we installed Austria’s first CO2-neutral artificial pitch in the Bezau Auto GEMO Arena during the summer of 2022, utilizing Polytan’s LigaTurf Cross GT zero.

LigaTurf Cross GT zero is the world’s first climate-neutral football turf designed for both professional and amateur sports. It combines sustainability with durability and performance, meeting even the highest demands of frequent usage. The turf is made from sustainable and bio-based PE raw materials derived from non-recyclable sugarcane. For the Bezau pitch, we combined this climate-neutral turf with environmentally friendly cork infill and Polytan’s PolyBase GT elastic layer, offering the ecological advantage of being a recycled product with groundbreaking carbon utilization technology. This turnkey system caters to both public or private investors and meets players’ high expectations.

Decisive for the Bezau council's decision was the sustainable and environmentally conscious integration of the new turf. It aligned perfectly with the community's „e5“ membership—Austria’s initiative promoting energy-efficient municipalities. This program supports communities in modernizing energy and climate policies, saving energy and costs, and utilizing renewable energy sources. Through the „Mission zero“ process, Bezau strives to actively combat climate change effects over the coming years. The resolution stated that LigaTurf Cross GT zero not only offered the best economic option but also met climate-neutral and sustainability goals while supporting „e5“ efforts. Polytan is proud to support Bezau in this ambitious, forward-thinking project while providing VfB Wälderhaus Bezau players with a solid, future-proof foundation for their sports activities. Currently, around 190 players are active across 9 teams.