A certificate alone is not enough. Buyers should check five things.
1. Check the issuing organization
Confirm whether the document comes from:
- An accredited testing laboratory
- An official certification organization
- A recognized international standards body
- A relevant sports governing organization
2. Check the exact product
The report should identify the actual turf model, yarn, backing and relevant system components.
A test report for one product should not automatically be used to represent every product manufactured by the same company.
3. Check the test date
Environmental and chemical testing should be sufficiently current for the procurement project.
This is particularly important when the manufacturer has changed:
- Yarn formulation
- Backing materials
- Adhesives
- Additives
- Manufacturing processes
4. Check the complete system
For a sports installation, don’t test only the grass yarn.
The complete system may include:
Yarn + primary backing + secondary backing + coating/adhesive + shock pad + seam materials + other installation components.
The environmental performance of the finished installation can therefore differ from that of the yarn alone.
5. Check recyclability claims separately
“Recyclable” should ideally be supported by information about:
- Material composition
- Separation technology
- Recycling process
- Recycled output
- Third-party certification or verification
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