Our top product LigaTurf Cross GTR at the Heinz Dettmer Stadium in Lohne
Green at every level: Synthetic turf for a sustainable future
The town of Lohne is located in the Oldenburg Münsterland, in the northwest of Germany. Lohne has made a name for itself as the “home of special industries” in the region and beyond. Sport has been an important recreational outlet for its hardworking population since the 19th century. Today, the town’s website lists 18 sports clubs in Lohne. For example, the Heinz Dettmer Stadium is home to “TuS Blau-Weiß Lohne”, which counts 4,000 members practising 16 different sports – including football, basketball, karate, judo, table tennis, billiards, American football team The Lohne Longhorns, boxing, handball, swimming and athletics.
The stadium has room for 6,000 spectators; a roofed stand provides approx. 600 seats. In the direct vicinity, there is a 113 x 65 m training pitch and 61 x 50 m miniature playing field. Until 2022, these were made of natural grass. Since then, we have installed our LigaTurf Cross GTR with cork infill in collaboration with Brinkmann + Deppen GbR landscape architects from Sassenberg. In opting for this surface, the client in Lohne has chosen one of the most advanced products in Polytan’s “Green Technology” portfolio. That’s because bio-based plastics are used for the filaments. These are made from the remains sugar cane that can no longer be used to produce food. We also use PCR (post-consumer recycled) material in its production – recycled plastics that have been used before. In LigaTurf Cross GTR, the straight filaments of made of at least 20% recycled plastics, while the textured fibres consist of approx. 80% bio-based plastics. The production of LigaTurf Cross GTR is green too: we use up to 100% green electricity in its manufacture. For the infill, we have used cork – a natural, renewable material. It boasts excellent cushioning properties and is applied over a layer of sand.
The result is a low-maintenance, durable artificial turf for training and sports facilities that not only fulfils the requirements of professional athletes, but elevates climate protection and sustainability to a new level in the world of synthetic turf systems, and shows that the future of synthetic turf is sustainable and green. The surface is predominantly used by footballers from TUS Blau-Weiß Lohne, as well as by the Lohne Longhorns American football team, which is why we have integrated American football markings. The mini pitch directly next to the football pitch has also been renovated by us: in 2020, using our LigaTurf Cross turf with Cool Plus function.
We are pleased to report that Polytan has received yet another order from Lohne for the construction of a synthetic turf playing field on a former natural grass pitch. Our LigaTurf Cross surface with Cool Plus function will be installed in the autumn of 2023.
