Danish synthetic turf recycling company Re-Match has received EUR 2.5 million for a project  to generate new turf yarns of similar quality to the originals from discarded synthetic turf, to be applied into new synthetic turf. Should Re-Match succeed in its endeavour, this will significantly reduce the waste derived from synthetic turf and decreasing their environmental footprint.

Synthetic turf might be as green as real grass but definitely not in terms of environmental sustainability, as it cannot be entirely recycled. The EU-funded CREATE project introduces a sustainable, transparent, proven solution, promoting a fully circular economy based on the upcycling of every synthetic turf component. Combining state-of-the-art technologies, project scientists have developed a ground-breaking patented process that manages to dissolve the high-quality clean plastic material into a new resin.

With its ground-breaking patented process to claim the various components from discarded synthetic turf by combining state-of-the-art technologies, Re-Match believes it adds the missing link to complete the upcycling of the plastic component. Re-Match is already capable of separating used synthetic turf carpets into sand, rubber and plastic (the first two efficiently recycled). Now, by dissolving the high-quality clean plastic material into a new resin, Re-Match is confident it will generate new turf yarns of similar quality to the originals, to be applied into new ATs, significantly reducing the waste derived from ATs and decreasing their environmental footprint.

The process offers a cradle-to-cradle solution and a fully circular economy model for every synthetic turf component. By 2025 years, our resin has the potential to cumulatively save 450,000 tons of CO2e due to recyling of plastic fibres which have traditionally been difficult to be disposed off. As the synthetic turf demand and disposal has steadily increased following an annual growth of 16.6% between 2015 and 2017, and the sports segment is the most sought after, Re-Match aims to capture the new trends related to green and sustainable processes.