The Norwegian Government has announced a comprehensive action plan to support sports clubs and municipalities in phasing out rubber granulate on synthetic turf fields. This is in anticipation of the EU-wide ban on the sale of polymeric infill materials, which will take effect in October 2031.
The decision to ban the trade of polymeric infills is based on environmental concerns. Polymeric infill particles are considered a major source of microplastic pollution.
In Norway, the ban will affect around 1,500 football pitches, over 60% of which are owned by municipalities. The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) has described the situation as “greatest crisis” the sport has ever faced in the country.
Given Norway’s cold climate, natural grass is impractical in many areas for delivering a sports surface. And while organic infills have been accepted in many countries, Norway still favours polymeric infills, and SBR in particular, as this infill is less prone to the influence of the wind.
Massive economic impact
The total cost of this green transition is estimated to be approximately EUR 650 million. The NFF estimates that replacing rubber infill and ensuring year-round playability will result in another EUR 200 million additional costs over 13 years.
Support package
To help manage the transition, the Norwegian Government has introduced a package of targeted financial measures, supporting both the replacement of existing fields and the development of new, more sustainable pitches.
This includes increased subsidies for underground pitch heating systems (100%), the investment in indoor football arenas (approximately 50% increase), outdoor field rehabilitation (approximately 45% increase) and the installation of new fields (approximately 15% increase).
New Football Environmental Fund
Together with the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) and the Retail Environmental Fund, a Football Environmental Fund will be launched. This fund aims at supporting sustainable infrastructure innovation in the sport. Approximately EUR 7 million has been set aside to fund this initiative.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is calling on the industry to step up and to join in. “We’re creating space for innovation. Producers of synthetic turf must now develop new infill materials. If we act early, this could become a valuable product with global demand.”
The government will fund test facilities and pilot projects to support this development. Although promising results have been reported by some researchers, no final replacement material has been approved yet.