To curb microplastics, the EU is considering a ban on rubber granules on artificial turf pitches.
A study by the Fraunhofer Institute also fueled the discussion and caused uncertainty among clubs.
But now the institute is rowing back.
The reason: The figures given do not correspond to reality.
Munich – Will artificial turf pitches soon be banned?
Thousands of clubs in Germany are worried about the future.
An artificial turf pitch costs more than 500,000 euros, and neither clubs nor municipalities can easily afford to replace such an investment.
But where should the players play in the future and where should they train?
The concerns of the clubs are justified.
In the fight against microplastics, the European Chemicals Agency (Echa) is also targeting artificial turf pitches.
However, it is not about the artificial turf, but exclusively about the granulate with which the lawn is filled.
There is currently an EU ban on this granulate from 2022.
Football clubs prefer artificial turf to real grass
The Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU), who is also responsible for sports, campaigned for a transitional period of six years for existing artificial turf pitches in the event of the ban.
"Many thousands of sports facilities in German clubs would otherwise be threatened with closure," he told the "Welt am Sonntag".
There are around 6000 artificial turf pitches in Germany.
The Bavarian Football Association has reported 349 pitches in Bavaria.
35 have been added in Bavaria since 2014.
Despite the costs, the trend is towards artificial turf.
The clubs appreciate the advantages that this turf offers.
It is more hard-wearing than natural grass, and games can be played practically all year round.
Artificial turf manufacturer doubts study results
It is unclear whether a ban will actually come.
Echa is currently relying primarily on a study by the Fraunhofer Institute “Umsicht” in Oberhausen on this issue.
The study names the plastic granules, or "drifts from sports fields and playgrounds", as one of the largest sources of microplastics in Germany.
Between 8,000 and 11,000 tons of granulate are said to be released into the environment from the venues every year.
"These numbers have nothing to do with reality," says Tobias Müller, Head of Marketing and Communication at Polytan GmbH in Burgheim near Ingolstadt.
The company is the market leader in Germany for artificial turf pitches and playing surfaces.
"It's time to bring the debate back to the facts," he says.
And one of these facts is that you cannot transfer European average values to Germany like the Fraunhofer Institute.
"In Germany, a different standard applies," says Müller, giving an example.
In its calculation, the Fraunhofer Institute assumes that twelve kilograms of granulate per square meter would be used.
In fact, even older places would manage with only five kilograms per square meter.
Modern lawns only need 1.7 kilograms.
"It's also not true that most of the granulate is flushed into the environment," says Müller.
The opposite is the case.
"A large part of the granulate is caught by waste water filters, scraper mats and enclosures and does not get into the environment." Müller receives support from the chairman of the responsible DIN standards committee, Heinz Schomakers.
"The database is simply wrong," he says of the "FAZ".
Renowned research institute admits errors in artificial turf study
The Fraunhofer Institute now admits that the study does not refer to concrete data, but to estimates.
A “worst-case scenario” was depicted to raise awareness of the topic.
The aim now, however, must be to arrive at realistic scenarios.
How much granulate actually ends up in the environment from artificial turf?
With a new study, the institute wants to "quantify more concretely" the microplastic emissions from artificial turf pitches and thus contribute to the "objectification of the topic".
In politics, too, efforts are being made to calm the waves.
"It is far from clear whether the EU Commission will propose a ban," said a spokesman for the Federal Environment Ministry.
The Echa is only in an early phase of forming an opinion.
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