What Environmental Standards Should Buyers Look For?

There is no single universal “environmental certification for artificial turf.” Different markets use different regulations and testing systems.

For European and international projects, commonly referenced frameworks include EU REACH, relevant product-chemical restrictions, VOC testing, heavy-metal testing, and independent laboratory assessments. Depending on the application, buyers may also request documentation relating to recyclability, recycled content, life-cycle performance, and restricted substances.

For football facilities, FIFA’s current Football Turf Quality Programme evaluates much more than environmental characteristics. Its laboratory and field testing covers areas including playing performance, safety, durability, product composition, weather resistance and seam strength. FIFA also introduced requirements and testing developments relating to sustainability and recycled content in its newer football-turf framework.

This means that a high-quality non-infill turf system should not be judged simply by whether the supplier uses the word “eco-friendly.”