In Scotland, almost every high school has what’s known as an artificial pitch. They are becoming part of our game (Football) in Scotland with 25% of the top tier teams having a “plastic pitch”. (Couse, 2019) With them becoming increasingly popular it’s time to discuss the impact that they have on our planet.

Most of these pitches use third generation technology which is also known as 3G which consists of granules like rubber used as an infill which in hindsight makes the surface more comfortable to play on. The rubber comes from old vehicle tyres which if you are a parent or guardian of a child that plays football or you play football yourself, you’ll know for a fact what I’m talking about. They go everywhere! From being stuck in your shoes to being found in your washing pile. This rubber crumb’s correct name is “styrene-butadiene rubber” (Artificial Pitches – Fidra, 2019)

The problem here lies with the fact that once these granules have left the pitch they can easily make their way down the drain, into the rivers and just like the life of a nurdle, they end up being mistaken for food, making their way into our food chain and damaging animals.

We wanted to put together a helpful guide just like Operation Clean Sweep produces for companies, we’d like to compile a useful tool for all who use these pitches.

Before you leave the pitch, ensure that you check all your kit and boots for rubber granules and make sure that they stay on the pitch. If brushes are available, use them to brush off granules from your boots and clothes. It’s important to also note that before you pack your kit away that you give it a good shake to get all the rubber crumb out. You must not wash the granules in the shower as they will go into our drains and end up in our waters. We feel that all clubs and owners of pitch should have some sort of bucket where players and coaching staff can put all the rubber crumb, so it’s maintained within the area of the pitch.

With the use of artificial surfaces increasing throughout Scotland we feel that if we tackle this issue early then it can reduce it from being a worldwide problem. Here in Scotland, we could lead by example here.

References

Artificial Pitches – Fidra. (2019). Retrieved from Fidra: https://www.fidra.org.uk/artificial-pitches/

Couse, S. (2019, February 14). Scottish Football. Retrieved from BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45903364

Walker, P. (2019, 04 18). What Do 3G Pitches Really Contain? Retrieved from Socotec: https://www.socotec.co.uk/news/blog/archive/what-do-3g-pitches-really-contain/