Re-Match

The circular economy is not nearly as simple as it sounds. The concept overall sounds somewhat obvious in our current times; eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature (according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation). However, in practice, the output is more complex. For instance, how do we reconcile the effort and energy it takes to reconstitute a product against the impact of throwing it in a landfill? Sometimes it feels like its lose-lose.

Well, its not!

Private companies are doing their small part (or very big!) to understand how they can make less waste. One of these companies is Re-Match.

Re-Match is a turf recycling company. Since synthetic turf has become increasingly popular, its waste output grows as well.

Think of an average stadium. According to the Re-Match website, the average lifespan of a pitch (with proper maintenance) is ten years. A synthetic turf pitch weighs 220-240 tons and covers 7,000 square meters. When the turf wears down enough to be unsustainable for play, it gets incinerated, resulting in significant environmental impact.

The Re-Match process takes the old turf and separates it into its raw components. Then, the raw materials including the backing, sand, rubber, and plastic fibers, are sold and brought into new turf production cycles.

This is a patented process. Re-Match is the first recycling company in the world to completely clean and recycle all elements of the old synthetic turf. The clean end products can even be repurposed for other needs, including for landscape services, construction, and for industrial needs like road repair and more.

Since cleaning and recycling the actual turf fibers themselves is a challenge, Re-Match has also tackled this part of the process. They developed a process that efficiently separates and cleans the fibers, enabling them to be up-cycled to make new turf yarns.

So this comes back to the circular economy. While in much of our lives we’re encouraged to spend more and consume what’s new, the real challenge of creativity is how do we preserve and sustain what we already have? The companies that are figuring this out will lead by example. Go, Re-Match! You’re teaching us how to play your game.