The Swedish FA (SvFF) has opened a sixth testbed in a trial to evaluate new types of infill for long-pile synthetic turf sports surfaces that could serve as a sustainable alternative to crumb rubber and other polymeric infills.
The latest site is at Huvudstafältet in Solna. Other testbeds are located at Måsberget in Gävle, Bromstens IP in Stockholm, Torsbovallen in Trollhättan, Furulunds IP in Partille, and Kviberg in Gothenburg.
The infill that will be trialled in Solna is a natural rubber that is produced using raw material from dandelions. It is engineered from over 95% renewable, natural raw materials and free from PAHs, nitrosamines, 6PPD, and aromatic oils.
According to manufacturer Taxara, its future development is aimed at sourcing rubber from dandelions.
“You could say that Sweden is at the very forefront globally,” Stefan Cårebo, facilities manager at the Swedish Football Association, said at the official opening of the site.
Monitor different materials
The various testbeds make it possible to monitor different materials over time and under varying weather conditions. The experience gained from the pitches will be important for understanding how the materials perform in practice, from playing feel and function to wear and maintenance.
“Right now we have a world-leading testbed in terms of all forms of testing, where we measure partly through independent labs that test three times a year in different climates. We conduct in-depth interviews with those who operate the facility, and then, above all, we have player evaluations – what the players themselves think of the material,” Cårebo said.
Since 2024, the Nordic football associations have had expanded cooperation on developing new materials for synthetic turf pitches, as a replacement for the microplastics that are to be phased out as a result of an EU decision. A sales ban on today’s microplastic-based infill materials comes into force in 2031.
In the UK, the Football Foundation is also running a trial with various organic infills. During a recent visit, Sportsfields.info was told that the program had secured over 2,000 responses from a variety of players, handing the Football Foundation and its research partners valuable insights in organic infills and their behavior.
The event was attended by surface experts from several national football associations as well as UEFA.
SvFF’s three-year test project is partly funded through UEFA’s HatTrick programme.
“UEFA is here looking at how things stand, and they’re impressed that we’ve achieved such good results in such a short time. So there’s actually a bit of pride in the fact that there’s so much interest in finding the material, and that so many are coming here to Sweden,” Cårebo said.
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