The Synthetic Turf Industry's Approach to Microplastics

Overview

The Synthetic Turf Council (STC) strives to be a partner with local communities, schools, businesses, and families across the country to ensure that we continue to provide clean and healthy products and play spaces for all, which is why addressing the environmental concerns associated with microplastics is important to us. While synthetic turf is not a major source of microplastic pollution, offering solutions to minimize microplastic release is an important part of STC's commitment to environmental stewardship.

Doing Our Part to Safeguard the Environment

In 2025, STC commissioned a white paper to take a closer look at the issue of microplastics and ensure our industry is actively doing its part to help safeguard our environment. The white paper explores what microplastics are, where they come from, and how the synthetic turf industry is taking real, measurable steps to minimize microplastics release. STC members are committed to ongoing innovation and best practices, including the following approaches highlighted in the white paper:

• Applications without infill: Some synthetic turf applications for landscaping – such as backyards or children's play areas – may not require infills because of comparatively low traffic levels or the use of materials like shock pads. Additionally, some companies have recently introduced sports systems that are designed with little to no performance infill.

• Non-polymeric infills: There are alternative infill materials without polymeric ingredients, including but not limited to natural infills made of walnut shells, as well as tree materials such as pine, cork, coconut, rice hulls, and raw silica sand.

• Infill containment: Regardless of the infill type chosen, there are a variety of containment measures that have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing microplastic releases from synthetic turf fields, including the installation of containment barriers along the perimeter of the field, brush stations, and a clean-down exit area equipped with mesh grating.

• Reducing impact from rainwater: Specialized drainage collection, conveyance, storage, and filtration systems can be installed to capture infill materials before they enter stormwater infrastructure.

• Reducing impact from maintenance: Proper maintenance practices can significantly reduce the release of microplastics. This includes properly removing snow, clearing loose infill and fiber debris that attach to maintenance equipment, and regularly using a blower to return infill from adjacent hard surfaces and grassed perimeter areas back into the synthetic turf field.

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