Polytan LigaTurf Cross GT zero for sports club SV Schleußig 1990
A milestone and flagship project
A district of Leipzig and an island at once: Schleußig is surrounded by water and can only be reached by bridge. The SV Schleußig 1990 club grounds in the Nonnenwiese park provide exceptional conditions for training and competing – just one reason why the club has grown so rapidly in the last ten years. Until recently, over 300 boys, girls, men and women were training on two natural grass pitches – 200 of them in the youth division. As a result, more playing fields and training areas were needed for all-season use.
With funding from the municipality and the state, one of the two pitches was converted into an artificial turf pitch. An essential condition for awarding the contract was the use of environmentally friendly materials. Accordingly, the world’s first CO2-neutral artificial football turf, Polytan LigaTurf Cross GT zero was installed. It combines environmental friendliness with sustainability, without compromising on durability and functional properties. It meets both the requirement for climate compatibility and the high standards of the players.
Another plus alongside its realistic appearance, perfect playing properties and simple maintenance: the sand-filled turf system is completely free from rubber granules. In yet another ecological triumph, Polytan PolyBase GT is used as an elasticising layer underneath the artificial turf itself. This brand-new Green Technology development from Polytan combines the proven benefits of the elastic layer, which is installed in-situ, with those of a with a recycled product, including a pioneering new technology for the utilisation of carbon dioxide. Thanks to cardyon® by German polymer manufacturer Covestro, for the first time ever, it is now possible to use CO2 as a raw material in the manufacture of plastics and therefore reduce the consumption of fossil resources, such as petroleum. cardyon®, which is made of up to 20% natural carbon, is used to bind the rubber granules in our PolyBase GT products, ensuring permanent elasticity. The use of this post-consumer recycled material (ELT) also helps improve the environmental footprint of the facility in Schleußig.
After years of planning by Seelemann Landschaftsarchitekten in Markkleeberg, the funding for the artificial turf pitch was approved in June 2020 and construction could begin, under the supervision of Hermsdorf-based company, Sport- & Freianlagenbau GmbH. In summer 2021, it was finally ready: the new artificial turf pitch was open for use. The installation of the eco-friendly artificial turf pitch is a milestone in the long-term development of the club. It is also a flagship project that has made waves far beyond the district – to attract as many new ecologically minded copycats as possible.
