The European Commission has voted: Ban rubber granules on artificial grass pitches

The EU has decided to ban added microplastics in, among other things, artificial grass. This means a major upheaval for Norwegian football.

The measure has been in the works for a long time. This week, the European Commission in Brussels voted for a ban.

The news agencies Ritzau and TT also mention the decision.

Rubber granules are among the biggest sources of the spread of microplastics, the Norwegian Environment Agency has stated. In the EU, there has been work for a long time on tightening up a set of regulations to ensure less spread.

The EU has decided that a transition period will last eight years after the ban comes into force.

– Eight years is a change from six years, which was announced earlier. This means that from the time the ban comes into force, everyone has eight years to replace the current pitches with an alternative as infill material, said NFF general secretary Karl-Petter Løken recently.

Løken did not have the opportunity to respond to NTB’s inquiry on Thursday morning.

Build barriers

He emphasized at the same time that the NFF wanted the period to be 10–12 years.

– We are working on it. What is worth saying is that there has been a development in this matter. Several EU countries are now working on longer transitional arrangements, as well as a solution where rubber granules can still be used with emission control measures, said Løken.

He further stated that it has been proven that “building barriers reduces emissions of granules by 90 per cent”.

The NFF is working on developing other sustainable solutions around artificial turf pitches. Among other things, a solution is being looked at using wood as filling material. Kristiansand club Randesund is among the clubs that have this.

The football elite, led by Løken, recently visited the club.

The alternatives so far are cork, coconut, olive stone, pine and birch.

– We are in a critical situation now with 70 percent fewer built tracks than in 2019, and only 20 percent of the tracks built between 2008 and 2012 have been rehabilitated. There are very few, said Løken.

– These are typically tracks with a lifespan of 10–15 years. The probability of getting injured is thus greater. We have to do something.

Drier and drier

The NFF says they need a long transition period to be able to guarantee that alternative filling solutions are just as good to play football on.

– The alternative solutions must be good enough for both dry and hot climates, said Løken.

In Europe, the weather has become drier and drier, combined with watering bans in some places. This means that many nations have to consider artificial grass.

The NFF has requested help from the Norwegian authorities to get through a longer transition period with the EU. The association was partially successful.

In Oslo, the city council decided in 2020 that the municipality should cut the use of rubber granules by up to 50 per cent by 2024. The city council has around 100 courts. About ten a year will be rehabilitated.

It is expected that the bill will enter into force during 2023. However, the matter is not yet 100 percent decided. EU member states in the Council of Ministers and the EU Parliament have three months to raise objections if they want to change the decision.