ETRA explores possibilities for continued use of recycled rubber infill in sports pitches

According to the "European Rubber Journal" report: The European Tire Recyclers Association (ETRA) recently held its 29th annual meeting in Brussels. The theme of this annual meeting is "Recycling and Conversion of Tire Recycling", which discussed the continued use of synthetic materials in stadiums. Rubber filling material issues. ETRA said before the meeting: "Because the EU has adopted a ban in 2023 on the use of waste tire rubber powder as filling material in sports venues; the ban is scheduled to take effect in 2031, which will lead to the redevelopment of some less sustainable materials. space and capture the market.”

To this end, ETRA formed a working group called the "Reimagining Urban Life Project" to explore and fully evaluate "the many reasons for continuing to use this unique material." The European association noted that now is not the time to abandon "such recycled synthetic rubber material" and said the bill to ban this rubber filler may bring certain risks.

The association warned that instead of consolidating and developing a circular economy, this ban is "very likely to lead to a sharp decline in the linear economy and the intensification of pollutants." Furthermore, this EU ban may lead to the disposal of old abandoned sports fields rather than the recycling and reuse of these synthetic rubber raw materials. This will result in stadiums being more expensive to build, using "materials that require longer distances and higher CO2 emissions, while achieving lower performance and a shorter service life." The ban, in addition to restricting young people's participation in sports, is likely to lead to a dramatic increase in the amount of scrap tires being shipped around the world for disposal or incineration.