TenCate Grass, a manufacturer, distributor and installer of synthetic turf for sports and landscape application, has claimed a first for the US market with the launch of a programme to recycle end-of-life artificial grass.
The initiative will leverage Cyclyx’s feedstock processing expertise and ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology for advanced recycling, and is designed to efficiently and effectively recycle synthetic turf into feedstock that can be used to create new turf and other products.
The programme, which will be known as TenCate Turf Recycling Solutions, will start by processing 50 aged turf fields from high schools and college campuses. The end-of-life turf will then be shipped to a Southern California facility where it will be shredded.
The shredded turf will then be delivered to Texas, where Cyclyx International will further pre-process it before sending it to ExxonMobil’s Baytown advanced recycling facility. The Exxtend technology will be used to break down the turf into raw materials that can be used to make new products.
Joe Fields, president and chief executive of TenCate Grass Americas, said: “At TenCate, we are committed to leading the industry and moving sustainability forward in a meaningful way. We understand the issue of end-of-life synthetic turf, and we have taken it upon ourselves to find a true solution for the entire industry. Our goal is to keep turf out of landfills and put it back to use.”
Dave Andrew, vice-president of new market development at ExxonMobil, added: “Our advanced recycling technology has already processed millions of pounds of otherwise difficult to recycle plastics, like food packaging and artificial turf, that are generally not recycled today. With our scalable technology and collaborations like this one alongside TenCate Grass and Cyclyx, we are helping to meet the growing demand for circular products.”
ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling facility in Baytown has processed more than 11 million pounds of plastic waste as of June 2022, and the company is expanding to a large-scale advanced recycling facility at the site.
TenCate’s link-up with ExxonMobil and Cyclyx builds on the company’s efforts to recycle synthetic turf. In the Netherlands, where the company’s headquarters are located, TenCate recycles its end-of-life turf into Ecocept, an elastic layer in sports fields.
After the initial phase is complete, TenCate plans to expand the initiative across the US.
