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Going green : ESA supports natural turf for football, sports and playing surfaces
In its recently published report entitled “Natural Turf: Why it remains the natural choice for football, sports and playing surfaces”, the European Seed Association (ESA) targets key decision makers at the municipality level who are responsible for sport facilities. The aim is to inform them about all aspects of both natural and artificial turf - and to encourage them to “go green” and opt for the natural choice.
According to ESA’s report, investing in natural grass is the smart option for everybody involved: It protects the environment, is safer and healthier for the players and cheaper for local sports clubs.
Three good reasons to rely on natural turf!
Being by far the most sustainable, environmentally-and carbon-friendly option, natural turf releases less greenhouse gases and thus contributes in cutting the carbon footprint. Playing on natural grass also reduces the players’ stress levels and even heart rate. Various studies have shown that the smells, sensations and experiences of being on a natural grass bring a number of health and wellbeing benefits. Last but not least, the report argues, backed up by figures, that natural turf also saves local sports clubs a significant amount of money. Due to considerable costs for initial investment, maintenance and waste management, artificial surfaces are often far higher per playing hour than natural ones.
Additionally, these days natural turf grounds are no longer subject to the formerly associated weather and performance risks, thanks to on-going endeavours of plant breeders: Innovative new grass species today are much more resistant to wear, tolerant to drought and less susceptible to diseases.
ESA’s Technical Director, Bert Scholte, states that in many cases local decision makers simply do not have an overview of the different options when deciding on the renewal or construction of sport pitches including the related costs. The revised ESA report will enable them to take the right decision for their local needs.
To access the background publication "Natural Turf: Why it remains the natural choice for football, sports and playing surfaces", click here
To download the respective press release, click here
