According to The Telegraph.co.uk, new fears have emerged about the environmental toll of 3G pitches on generations to come, with a television documentary having revealed that there is no viable plan to recycle the huge numbers of surfaces the English Football Association is investing in heavily.
The Dutch investigative program “Zembla” discovered two enormous dumps of worn-out plastic pitches on the site of companies in Holland that were supposed to be recycling them. The English FA plans to build £200 million of 3G pitches in 30 towns and cities across football “hubs” over the next 10 years despite concerns over the possible effect of crumb rubber, the 20,000 shredded tires used on each pitch as infill.
The Telegraph has seen a tender put out on behalf of the FA, as well as the Rugby Football Union, England Hockey and Sport England in February 2016, to recycle 3G pitches in the United Kingdom which it is understood has not yet been awarded. The document says there is “a lack of a coherent approach for the recycling/re-use of old artificial grass pitches” in the UK and that more than 150 will have to be replaced every year.
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