Matco Chemicals will show a secondary backing during the FSB show in Cologne, Germany, that should help the polymer maintain its value upon reclamation.

According to Philippe Berckmoes, a recycling company that did a trial with a carpet that was finished with the secondary backing has stated it willing to pay EUR 450 / tonnes to process the material. At present, customers pay EUR 350/tonne to have to end-of-life turf recycled.

“Our new secondary backing allows for the whole carpet to be recycled and reclaimed at the end of its economic lifespan. As such, the polymer maintains its value for the producer of the synthetic turf,” he explains. All that needs to happen is to remove the infill from the carpet, shred it and wash the shredded pieces before the pieces can be pelletised and fed to the extruder.

Cost efficient

The secondary backing is currently made of virgin material but, in the future, will be completely made of recycled end-of-life turf. “From 2026, it will already be made with 40% recycled content,” Berckmoes points out. “It can be processed on all existing machinery and doesn’t require an investment.” Moreover, processing the material requires less energy. “Its melting point is at 90°C whereas the present melting point is at 70°C. Its drying temperature is 30% lower than that for a carpet that has been finished with latex.”

According to Berckmoes, Matco Chemicals had the carpet with their secondary backing tested at testing institute Sports Lab. “We achieved a tuft lock of 60 newtons.”