Iwata City has many sports facilities, from venues used by professional athletes to places where residents play casually. Iwata Sports Exchange Village Yumeria Ball Game Field has natural grass soccer and multipurpose fields, and also a futsal court with artificial turf. Thanks to the benefits of artificial turf, the court has been used very often.
From December 2023 to February 2024, Iwata City replaced all the artificial turf on the futsal court. Pirika proposed measures to prevent microplastic leaks, with help from an artificial turf maker. 

1. How artificial turf ages

The life of artificial turf depends on the material and how often it is used, but it is said to be about 10–15 years. Over time, UV rays, wind, rain and wear from play damage the turf. The infill and backing become exposed, and shock absorption drops. Torn turf pieces and infill move off the playing field. If nothing stops them, such as a filter, they flow out through drains.

Before the replacement, the turf on the futsal court had aged a lot. The area in front of the goals was badly worn, the rubber chip infill was exposed, and in some places the concrete showed. Where the turf is badly worn, it holds infill less well, so the infill scatters more widely. The turf is also damaged more easily, which causes even more wear.

2. Prevent leaks during the replacement work, too

Replacement starts with removing the old turf. It is cut to a set width and rolled up with a forklift. The rolls still contain the infill. To keep microplastics from leaking from the rolls, they were stored on sheets, not directly on the ground, and carried in covered trucks with strict controls.
After the old turf was removed, the whole area was cleaned so that leftover turf pieces and infill would not leak. Then new turf was laid. Workers took care during installation, too, so that microplastics would not leak from the edges of the turf.

3. What measures does the renewed court have?

The new turf was laid on top of an underpad. For the infill, natural materials made from cork and coconut husk were used. As a measure against infill leaks, a 50 cm strip of non-fill artificial turf, which uses no infill, was placed around the outside of the field. (Note: natural infill is not guaranteed to break down, so it is still best to keep it from leaking as much as possible.) In addition, special filters that fit the shape of the drainage basins were installed to stop leaks out of the facility. About two months after installation, the effect of the basin filters was checked, and it was confirmed that microplastics were being caught. (Note: the filters were improved after the check to make them stronger.)

4. Care after installation is also important. Getting everyone interested is the first step

Replacing aged turf and adding leak prevention measures can greatly reduce microplastic leaks. But even new turf does not bring leaks to zero. Turf at sports facilities in particular gets a lot of friction, so we must assume turf pieces and infill are always scattering. Facility managers can clean regularly to prevent leaks, and users can help too, for example by brushing off turf stuck to their shoes and bodies after play.

More about the Sports Town Promotion Division of Iwata City: here (Japanese)

More about Iwata Sports Exchange Village Yumeria Ball Game Field: here (Japanese)

More about Pirika's Consulting business: here

Partner companies: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. and Sumigom Sangyo Co., Ltd.