PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The use of artificial turf pitches is indispensable in densely populated cities and regions in Europe. They can be used more frequently than natural grass pitches (up to 2 000 hours per year vs up to 400 hours) and can be used in all types of weather. Artificial turf pitches can thus be viewed as an efficient use of land.
However, synthetic pitches are currently not as resource- and energy-efficient, clean and climate resilient as they should be. They could even become incompatible with future European green public procurement, resource-efficiency and emission objectives. Although a wide range of innovative solutions are available to reduce the environmental and climate impact of artificial turf fields, current public procurement methods often hamper the uptake of green innovations. Solutions to these problems have been proven on a small scale.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE GREEN PITCHES project aims to demonstrate, monitor, evaluate, improve and replicate the innovative green public procurement (GPP) method ,‘Scale Up’, in order to increase the uptake of circular, bio-based, non-polluting, climate-resilient and energy-positive innovations for artificial turf pitches, as well as the transfer of the method to other sectors.
Specifically the project aims to:
- Draft common tender specifications for sustainable artificial turf pitches and use these to select three consortia to carry out pilots;
- Apply integral, value-chain based innovations for sustainable artificial turf pitches at three pilot locations in Amsterdam;
- Develop and apply a tool to monitor the environmental effects of sustainable artificial turf pitches purchased through the Scale Up method;
- Facilitate the uptake of successful innovations for sustainable artificial turf pitches;
- Evaluate and improve Scale Up as a GPP method based on lessons learnt, in order to encourage the continuation, replication and transfer of the method, leading to common tender specifications for artificial turf pitches on 25 replication sites within five years of the end of the project; and
- Unitiate the transfer of the Scale Up method to three new sectors (building, mobility and infrastructure).
Besides the listed EU Directives, the project also links with relevant national, Amsterdam and Haarlem policies:
- 100% climate neutral procurement in 2030 (Uitvoeringsagenda Duurzame gemeentelijke organisatie 2020-2030)
- 55% CO2 reduction in 2030, 95% CO2 reduction in 2050 (Routekaart Amsterdam Klimaatneutraal 2050)
- 50% reduction of raw material use before 2030 (Strategie Amsterdam Circulair 2020-2025 and Haarlemse Routekaart Duurzaamheid)
- 100% circular city in 2050.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- 13 070 tonnes reduction of the use of non-circular building material;
- 11 592 kg reduction of microplastics released in the environment per year;
- 24 000 m2area made less vulnerable for climate change;
- 5 040 000 kWh per year increased capacity for renewable energy production, yielding emission savings of 864 tonnes of CO2annually; and
- 1 349 tonnes of CO2equivalent emission savings from decreased use of virgin material in artificial turf pitches.
