By Norm Oshrin
Stepping onto a FieldTurf field, athletes know they are stepping onto a product known for meeting safety and reliability standards.
However, the components in the FieldTurf system, installed on more than 2,500 fields worldwide, also have a positive impact on the environment. The FieldTurf system has worked wonders as a product that reduces water consumption and pollution caused by chemical use, while increasing playing time, reducing injuries, and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The installation of FieldTurf eliminates the use of harmful pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides, at the same time removing thousands of tires from landfill sites. FieldTurf requires no mowing, fertilizing, reseeding, or watering and promotes a healthy lifestyle. All of this comes with the added bonus; FieldTurf helps organizations earn the necessary points needed for U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification with its recycled rubber content and water use reduction among other factors.
FieldTurf saves a billion gallons of fresh water every year. Coupled with reduced labor costs related to maintenance, equipment, and elimination of costs for supplies, organizations report a reduction in maintenance costs of as much as $30,000 to $60,000 per field, per year.
Hundreds of studies have been completed to discover the truth about any potential risks of artificial turf. Government health ministries and environmental bodies around the world have commissioned extensive research. So have world health organizations, leading universities, and independent scientific committees. Elected officials have reacted to the concerns of their constituents by commissioning studies to get the facts.
The research has been done. The studies exist.
Read what the experts have to say in independent testing, studies, and reports on the potential health and environmental impact of artificial turf. For a listing of the hundreds of studies carried out and a collection of the actual research and the factual conclusions, download the documents at www.fieldturf.com/enviro.
The six FieldTurf fields at the City of Chino Hills have become a major asset for the city both fiscally and environmentally.
The ease of transforming the field from football to soccer along with high ratings from NFL players made FieldTurf the smart choice for Qwest Field.
FieldTurf Tarkett partners with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FieldTurf Tarkett has recently been approved as an allied member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenScapes program. With the significant environmental benefits found in FieldTurf Tarkett’s products, this association makes perfect sense for both organizations and is yet another testament to FieldTurf Tarkett’s mantra of providing environmentally responsible high-quality surfacing products.
The GreenScapes Alliance is a voluntary partnership program that aims to combine government and industry into a powerful, unified influence over the reduction, reuse, and recycling of waste materials in large land use applications. The EPA’s program also aims to provide cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping. “We are very happy to have FieldTurf Tarkett Join the GreenScapes team in our efforts to help to prevent pollution and conserve resources in our landscapes,” said Jean Schwab, Program Manager of the EPA Greenscapes. GreenScapes encourages companies, government agencies, other entities, and homeowners to make more holistic decisions regarding waste generation and disposal and the associated impacts on land, water, air, and energy use.
More information on the EPA’s GreenScapes program can be found at www.epa.gov/greenscapes.
Shining a light on the Green system
Although football at Grove City College in Pennsylvania had been a tradition for more than 115 years, Robert E. Thorn Field never had lights until its renovation in 2006. The makeover of the stadium included new artificial turf and the installation of a state-of-the-art Light-Structure Green™ system from Musco Lighting.
The new lighting system extended hours of operation and in turn, dramatically increased usage of the field. More student activities were possible than ever before. During the lights’ first year of operation, the college turned the lights on every night, weather permitting, so that every event from Frisbee to football practice could take place in the evenings.
Due to the superior spill and glare control provided by the Light-Structure Green system, the light was kept on the field and away from the dorms, which are located just beyond the fields. The green lighting also reduced energy consumption by half compared with prior technology lighting systems designed for the same light on the field. Musco’s Constant 25™ product assurance and warranty program eliminated 100 percent of maintenance costs for the next 25 years and included Control-Link® controls and monitoring system, which allows for lights to be turned on and off remotely by phone, Internet or e-mail — a major benefit for the building and grounds director. Projected operating cost savings for Grove City College is $141,000 over the next 25 years.
The innovative features of the Light-Structure Green system have caught the attention of green-minded individuals nationwide. Facilities seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification are currently installing Musco’s Light- Structure Green system in an effort to earn points toward LEED certification, which is awarded to high-performance, sustainable buildings, and energy savings is a major factor.
FieldTurf understands that the true test to product quality lies in its longevity. The Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) in Texas is just one of many satisfied FieldTurf clients who have already begun to experience the incredible savings promised to them by FieldTurf. Athletic Director Tex Nolan decided to install FieldTurf 10 years ago. Today that same field continues to be used nonstop by hundreds of students and community members.
“To this day, FieldTurf has kept its promise as our field continues to provide unmatched durability and consistently safe playability. All the savings in time and money that were promised to us from the start continue to remain true today. Even after 10 years, we continue to see a return on our investment as we receive maximum usage out of our all-weather FieldTurf field.” FieldTurf is the only artificial turf company on the market with more than 50 fields over the age of 10 that are still in daily use.
A study was conducted to evaluate the long-term costs of resurfacing the same facility during a 30-year span. Based on the physical evidence of premature failed competitor fields as seen at ISU, UNC, University of Oregon, Western Michigan University, The Stevens Institute of Technology and hundreds of other turf fields that didn’t make it past the age of five, a five-year replacement standard was used to compute the data. Based on the physical evidence as seen at AISD, Greenway Stadium and close to 50 other existing, fully functional FieldTurf fields over the
age of 10 years old, a 10-year replacement standard was used to compute FieldTurf’s data. Based on the performance results and replacement rates of 80,000-square-foot artificial turf systems to date, despite having a higher initial sticker price, over a 30-year span, FieldTurf managed to offer potential savings of almost $1 million.
FieldTurf has been helping its customers save money since day one. With a firm dedication to the future, FieldTurf invested in quality in order to help save you almost $1,000,000 over time. Regardless of the dozens of cheaper products on the market, with the savings and quality offered by FieldTurf it really is no wonder that an industry leading 2500 FieldTurf fields have been installed to date.
