Artificial grass recycling scheme launches in 2020

In Spring 2020, artificial grass on an industrial site near Amsterdam will be recycled to make new artificial grass. It is expected that when artificial grass becomes known as a recyclable product, demand will grow.

Most artificial lawns will last between 20 and 25 years. At the end of its life, until now, there has been limited recycling available. Dutch company GBN-AGR is changing this by converting end-of-life artificial grass into new grass and other products. The company claims that its process will recycle 100% of the materials.

GBN-AGR is being transparent about its program and has promised to publish an annual impact report detailing how much artificial turf the firm has recycled, and a list of products that have used the newly recycled turf. The company is already accepting end-of-life artificial turf at its storage facility in the Netherlands, ready for when the recycling plant opens next year.

Recycling helps the environment by reducing pollution. Many governments have regulations to reduce the harmful impact of some manufacturing processes have on the environment. If artificial grass recycling is widely adopted, however, there will be no need for regulations that affect the artificial grass industry.

If the recycling process goes to plan, the way GBN-AGR recycles artificial turf could become standard practice worldwide within a year or two. Households installing artificial turf in their Chester gardens should expect that the turf will be recycled at the end of its life in two decades’ time.