北欧気候下での人工芝の環境持続性を評価(Artificial turf in the Nordic climate – a question of sustainability)

2025-12-09 リンショーピング大学(LiU)

スウェーデン・リンシェーピン大学の研究チームは、北欧の寒冷で変動の大きい気候条件下で、サッカー場における天然芝と人工芝の環境影響をライフサイクルアセスメント(LCA)で比較した。人工芝は製造段階で環境負荷が最も大きい一方、天然芝は維持管理に多くの作業が必要で、草刈り・施肥・エアレーションなどの頻度が高いため、化石燃料や資材使用による環境負荷が累積する。特に化石燃料駆動の管理機器を用いた場合、天然芝の環境コストは人工芝を上回る可能性がある。一方、人工芝はリサイクルや熱回収が適切に行われる条件下では、高頻度利用の競技施設においてより持続可能と評価された。ただし、利用時間、管理方法、エネルギー源などによって最適解は変わり、天然芝が有利となるケースもある。本研究は北欧のスポーツ施設における意思決定の重要な指針となる。

<関連情報>

北欧気候におけるサッカー場のライフサイクルアセスメント:人工芝と天然芝システムの比較 Life cycle assessment of football fields in Nordic climates: Comparing artificial and natural turf systems

Mikael Säberg, Emma Lindkvist, Roozbeh Feiz, Patrik Thollander
Cleaner Environmental Systems  Available online: 4 November 2025,
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100369

北欧気候下での人工芝の環境持続性を評価(Artificial turf in the Nordic climate – a question of sustainability)

Abstract

Sport is more than just a game—it’s a global phenomenon that shapes cultures, economies, and communities. Football, the world’s most popular sport, is a prime example. Yet beneath the surface lies an overlooked environmental cost. As the climate crisis accelerates, the sprawling network of football facilities—stadiums, training grounds, and infrastructure—emerges as a silent contributor to environmental degradation and the transgression of planetary boundaries. Two common types of fields exist: artificial and natural turf. Research on environmental impacts of these turfs remains limited, especially in cold climates. This study presents a life cycle assessment of 1 m2 artificial and natural football turfs in Nordic climates, evaluating their environmental impacts such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential and ecotoxicity potential across construction, use, maintenance, and end-of-life phases over operational lifespans of 10, 20 and 30 years. Natural turf exhibited the highest overall environmental impacts over the operational lifespan, e.g. the global warming potential was 30.6 kg CO2 eq/m2 while the artificial turf reached 15.6 kg CO2 eq/m2. During the construction phase, artificial turf generated significant emissions, mainly from material production. In the use phase, natural turf showed the greatest impacts due to diesel consumption and fertilizer application. At the end-of-life stage, artificial turf’s sand and infill were reused, while the turf carpet and shock pad were incinerated for energy recovery. However, without recycling, artificial turf would represent the highest environmental burden among the evaluated alternatives. Implementing effective recycling and energy recovery strategies is essential to mitigate its environmental impact. Furthermore, sourcing turf materials locally, combined with substituting conventional maintenance equipment with electric robotic alternatives, can further reduce overall environmental impacts.

1901環境保全計画
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