Auditing company Kiwa has certified the quality of the work and the final result of beaten synthetic turf carpet removed by CarpetBeater.
The certification is important for contractors as well as buyers of second-hand turf, as it confirms that work has been done in a clean manner and that reclaimed synthetic turf carpet is clean.
“The certificate states that the holder has cleared the carpet of infill in a controlled manner and that the rolls of reclaimed synthetic turf are suitable for continued reuse, as the carpet no longer contains infill residue,” says Jan Klapwijk of Kiwa.
CarpetBeater claims that it is possible to remove 99.9% of all material that a synthetic turf carpet holds. This includes both the stabilizing infill and the performance infill, but also dirt, broken yarn fibres and other elements that find a way in between the blades of the carpet. “Because of all the attention on microplastic pollution, contractors’ working methods are under a magnifying glass when renovating a synthetic turf surface. This certificate proves that we clear the site correctly and clean the carpet almost completely, leaving no residue on site or in the carpet,” Carl Rennen of CarpetBeater explains.
Suitable for continued reuse
CarpetBeater lifts the mat, including all infill, and knocks it out on-site. In this way, the various components can be transported in an environmentally safe and clean manner. This can be a recognized recycling company, but, when it is up to Rennen, also another sports facility or other buyer.
“There is a lot of interest in these reclaimed synthetic turf carpets, as they often can still be used elsewhere. That could be for a new synthetic turf pitch, but we also receive a lot of enquiries from private individuals and entrepreneurs.” Rennen favours reuse of the carpet, as that prevents the production of new synthetic turf, which he views as unnecessary. “By reusing these reclaimed carpets, you don’t have to pump up new oil and you don’t emit any additional CO2.”
Rennen estimates that the market for second-hand synthetic turf is over 500,000 m2 per annum. The synthetic turf renovation market in the Netherlands produces close to 2mln sqm reclaimed turf per annum. “That is what we already can supply to the market. The biggest obstacle we currently experience is municipalities dictating that the reclaimed carpet should be sent to a recycler to have it destroyed.”
The certificate is valid for a limited period. “It is a so-called Innovation Certificate. The validity period of the certificate is 3 years. After that, the certificate can be extended once, providing Kiwa views it still as an innovation. If not, the certificate can be converted into a regular Kiwa or Komo certificate,” Klapwijk explains.
The CarpetBeater certificate is not the same as the Kiwa certification issued to synthetic turf recycling company GBN AGR in 2020. Here, the processing of reclaimed synthetic turf carpet into plastic granules was certified. Activities at Re-Match in Tiel, the third synthetic turf recycling facility in the Netherlands, have not been certified by Kiwa.