Synthetic turf pitch at Bergavik IP in Kalmar paves the way for Swedish sports facilities
How can we make the synthetic turf pitch even more environmentally friendly? This was the question raised by the Swedish municipality of Kalmar when it started construction of the new facility in 2018. Specifically, the planners focused on the discharge of rubber granulate. Thanks to a range of structural measures, it has been reduced to a minimum. One of the partners of the project was the Swedish Football Association, whose recommendations were also incorporated into the project. In addition, the synthetic turf is certified by SIS (the Swedish equivalent of CEM) and as a result has become a model for other Swedish sports facilities.
Polytan installed its LigaTurf Legend synthetic turf system with sand/rubber infill as the playing surface. To prevent rubber granulate from entering the environment, special filter systems were used in the drains, among other measures. In addition, the football club takes special care when cleaning the operating equipment. At the same time, users of the pitch are informed about how they can reduce the spread of granulate. Athletes, for example, are informed that any granulate they find stuck to their shoes must be brushed off before they leave the pitch. Granulate is also often discharged during snow clearance, so the municipality has implemented a snow-removal process whereby the snow is placed in a dedicated off-pitch location that allows any discharged granulate to be collected during the melting process and returned to the pitch.
The synthetic turf pitch in Kalmar has thus become a shining example for other sports facilities in Sweden.
