Each statement: claim → public source → date → evidence label → limitation. Figures are shown separately and never added together.
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
The main remaining Belgian evidence gaps are a harmonised national turf stock, current national EOL tonnage, actual recycling throughput, route shares, cross-border turf-specific tonnage and final destinations by material stream.
Limitation: These gaps should remain visible rather than being filled from internal market estimates.
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current measured Belgium-wide annual synthetic-turf end-of-life tonnage.
Limitation: Do not create a national tonnage by summing non-harmonised regional inventories.
Sources: [1] docs.vlaamsparlement.be
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT — HISTORICAL DATA-GAP EVIDENCE · 2024 · official_source_verified
A 2024 Flemish parliamentary answer stated that the administration did not have figures for how much synthetic turf was sent to recycling versus incineration.
Limitation: This establishes the absence of those figures at that time, not proof that no later operator/project-level records exist.
Sources: [1] docs.vlaamsparlement.be
CTE METHODOLOGY DECISION · 2026 · unverified
CTE does not publish a Belgium-wide stock-turnover tonnage model at this stage because the regional field inventories are not sufficiently harmonised by field size, sport and geographic coverage.
Limitation: Unknown is preferred over an unsupported Belgium-wide tonnage.
Sources: [1] docs.vlaamsparlement.be [2] parlement-wallonie.be [3] parlement-wallonie.be
CTE RESEARCH FINDING — PUBLIC SOURCES · 2026 public-source review · unverified
NO ACTIVE BELGIAN FULL-FIELD SYNTHETIC TURF RECYCLER HAS BEEN PUBLICLY VERIFIED IN THE CURRENT CTE DATASET. This does not mean none exists; none has been verified to the CTE evidence standard. Belgium has relevant plastics part-stream processing infrastructure, including Plastic Recycling Despriet (Harelbeke and Hulshout).
Limitation: Phrase as 'not identified in the current CTE source chain'; this does not prove that no processing activity occurs in Belgium.
Sources: [1] estc.info [2] proxyfields.be
DATED INDUSTRY GUIDE · 2023 guide · industry_reported
The ESTC 2023 European specialist-facility guide did not list a Belgian full-field recycling plant.
Limitation: Dated 2023 evidence; do not convert this into a permanent statement that Belgium has no facility.
Sources: [1] estc.info
Despriet · company_reported
Plastic Recycling Despriet is an active plastics part-stream processor (PE, PP, PLA, PS; post-consumer and industrial plastics incl. carpets; works with artificial-turf manufacturers). Harelbeke: sorting / shredding / washing / grinding / densification. Hulshout: extrusion / regranulation. Output: regrind, pellets, granulate, compound. Synthetic-turf-specific capacity and throughput: UNKNOWN.
Limitation: Company-reported. Not a full-field synthetic-turf recycler; no public evidence that it takes complete end-of-life fields. Machinery (2 washing lines, 3 Erema extrusion lines, 1 densification line) is not used to infer capacity.
Sources: [1] plasticrecyclingdespriet.be [2] plasticrecyclingdespriet.be
Excluded from recycler classification · unverified
Belgian sports-field contractors, installers, renovators and take-back/dealer actors (e.g. Sportinfrabouw, Royal Grass-related distributors/installers, Kunstgrascentrum, Grasmeester) are not classified as recycling facilities: installation, removal, take-back or recyclable product design does not establish physical end-of-life recycling at a Belgian facility.
Limitation: CTE classification. Not included in recycling capacity. Reclassification only on direct processing evidence.
COMPANY REPORTED · current 2026 · company_reported
Proxy Fields in Aartselaar publicly offers removal and recycling of old artificial turf, but states that recycling is carried out by partner recycling companies.
Limitation: Proxy Fields provides removal and take-back/recycling services for artificial turf. The company states that actual recycling is carried out by partner recycling companies.
Sources: [1] proxyfields.be
COMPANY REPORTED · current 2026 · company_reported
Proxy Fields publicly markets ONE-DNA artificial turf as a mono-material polyethylene system designed for easier recycling and take-back.
Limitation: Product-design claim; not evidence of Belgium-wide recycling throughput or a secondary-material quality passport.
Sources: [1] proxyfields.be
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT + DATA GAP · 2026 · official_source_verified
Wallonia states that it does not have an exhaustive centralised inventory specifically for hybrid/semi-synthetic pitches; CTE has not identified a Belgium-wide hybrid EOL inventory.
Limitation: Known individual professional-stadium examples do not constitute a national inventory.
Sources: [1] parlement-wallonie.be
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current Belgian national estimate for landscaping artificial-turf installed stock or annual EOL tonnage.
Limitation: Landscape turf must remain separate from sports infrastructure.
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current Belgian national estimate for leisure/recreation artificial-turf installed stock or annual EOL tonnage.
Limitation: Do not infer leisure volume from sport-field counts.
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT · 2025–2026 public regional guidance · official_source_verified
Wallonia's sports-infrastructure administration uses an estimated synthetic-turf service life of about 10–15 years, depending on use, quality and maintenance.
Limitation: Planning reference, not a universal Belgian lifetime and not an observed EOL distribution.
Sources: [1] parlement-wallonie.be
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a Belgian nationwide artificial-turf secondary-material quality passport covering recovered sand, rubber/TPE/EPDM and PE/PP turf fractions.
Limitation: Regional EoW mechanisms and individual product specifications may apply; do not present these as one national turf-material standard.
Sources: [1] ovam.vlaanderen.be [2] environnement.wallonie.be [3] environnement.brussels
FINAL DESTINATION VERIFIED · official_source_verified
Gemax's 2019 study for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management reported that Belgium at that time had no processing route for fully excavated synthetic-turf fields, while Despriet processed only selected material fractions.
Sources: [1] zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl
CTE LEGAL STRUCTURE NOTE — OFFICIAL REGIONAL SOURCES · current 2026 · official_source_verified
Belgium does not have one single national operational End-of-Waste pathway for recycled artificial turf; waste and End-of-Waste implementation is regional, so Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels-Capital Region must be assessed separately.
Limitation: Do not imply a material recognised in one Belgian region automatically has the same status in another region or another country.
Sources: [1] ovam.vlaanderen.be [2] environnement.wallonie.be [3] environnement.brussels
OFFICIAL REGIONAL WASTE AUTHORITY · current 2026 · official_source_verified
In Flanders, where no European or specific VLAREMA criteria exist, a holder may assess End-of-Waste through the OVAM self-assessment framework or seek an OVAM raw-material declaration; these determinations are valid within the Flemish Region.
Limitation: No artificial-turf-specific Flemish EoW criterion has been identified in this CTE source chain.
Sources: [1] ovam.vlaanderen.be [2] ovam.vlaanderen.be
OFFICIAL REGIONAL WASTE AUTHORITY · current 2026 · official_source_verified
Wallonia operates a regional End-of-Waste recognition/registration system with quality, traceability and intended-use conditions; decisions are territorial and material/process specific.
Limitation: No artificial-turf-specific Walloon EoW criterion has been identified in this CTE source chain.
Sources: [1] environnement.wallonie.be
OFFICIAL REGIONAL WASTE AUTHORITY · current 2026 · official_source_verified
Brudalex provides the Brussels-Capital Region framework for waste treatment and End-of-Waste; CTE has not identified an artificial-turf-specific Brussels EoW criterion.
Limitation: Keep Brussels rules separate from Flemish and Walloon EoW decisions.
Sources: [1] environnement.brussels
EU LAW / AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE · EU rule · official_source_verified
For granular polymeric infill used on synthetic sports surfaces, the EU placing-on-market restriction applies from 17 October 2031.
Limitation: This is not a blanket ban on artificial-turf pitches and does not require existing pitches to stop being used on 17 October 2031.
Sources: [1] eur-lex.europa.eu [2] echa.europa.eu
EU LAW · current 2026 · official_source_verified
Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 is the current EU framework for cross-border waste shipments and applies from 21 May 2026, subject to transitional provisions.
Limitation: Shipment requirements depend on classification, composition, destination and treatment route.
Sources: [1] eur-lex.europa.eu
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT DATABASE / PARLIAMENTARY ANSWER · current Sport Vlaanderen registry snapshot (2025/2026) · official_source_verified
Sport Vlaanderen's database recorded 438 synthetic-turf fields of the reported 40×80 m category in late 2025, including 259 with rubber infill.
Limitation: Flemish regional database only. Sport Vlaanderen explicitly states inventory completeness depends largely on information supplied by local authorities.
Sources: [1] docs.vlaamsparlement.be
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT DATABASE / PARLIAMENTARY ANSWER · current Sport Vlaanderen registry snapshot (2025/2026) · official_source_verified
The 438 registered Flemish fields were reported by infill type as 259 rubber, 87 cork, 53 water, 35 unknown, 3 sand and 1 no-infill.
Limitation: Regional registered stock; categories and scope must remain exactly as reported.
Sources: [1] docs.vlaamsparlement.be
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT / PARLIAMENTARY ANSWER · 2026 · official_source_verified
Wallonia's 2026 public inventory identified 226 synthetic football pitches and 9 synthetic rugby pitches, including 145 pitches with microplastic infill.
Limitation: The Walloon inventory includes 11v11 and 5v5 fields and excludes the nine German-speaking municipalities and Brussels-Capital Region; some fields may still be unknown to the administration/federations.
Sources: [1] parlement-wallonie.be [2] parlement-wallonie.be
CTE RESEARCH FINDING — PUBLIC SOURCES · 2026 · unverified
CTE does not publish one current Belgian national synthetic-turf field total because the public inventories are regional, use different scopes and do not provide one harmonised Belgium-wide count.
Limitation: Do not simply add the Flemish and Walloon counts; Brussels, German-speaking municipalities and category definitions are not harmonised.
Sources: [1] docs.vlaamsparlement.be [2] parlement-wallonie.be [3] sport.brussels
Wallonia pipeline · official_source_verified
The April 2026 Walloon inventory reports 33 synthetic pitches (32 football + 1 rugby) in project, subsidy-request or construction stage; these are NOT included in the 235 existing pitches.
Limitation: Pipeline only; not existing pitches; not added to the existing total.
Sources: [1] parlement-wallonie.be
Wallonia microplastic infill · official_source_verified
A Walloon parliamentary answer of 31 August 2026 reaffirmed 145 currently identified synthetic football/rugby pitches with microplastic infill within the Walloon inventory scope.
Limitation: Same scope as the April 2026 inventory (excludes the 9 German-speaking municipalities and Brussels); not extrapolated to Belgium.
Sources: [1] parlement-wallonie.be
DATA GAP / CLASSIFICATION CAUTION · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified one Belgium-wide artificial-turf-specific Eural/EWC code that can be applied universally to all removed turf systems.
Limitation: Waste classification must follow the actual material, composition, treatment stage and competent regional authority.
Sources: [1] eur-lex.europa.eu
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current Belgium-wide annual tonnage specifically for end-of-life artificial turf exported or imported in 2026.
Limitation: Do not infer national trade flows from proximity to Dutch, French or German processing facilities.
