Artificial turf recycling in Belgium

Each statement: claim → public source → date → evidence label → limitation. Figures are shown separately and never added together.

• DATA GAP · 2026

  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

  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

  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

  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] www.parlement-wallonie.be [3] www.parlement-wallonie.be

• CTE RESEARCH FINDING — PUBLIC SOURCES · 2026 public-source review

  CTE has not identified a current Belgian specialist full-field artificial-turf recycling plant with publicly documented installed capacity and actual throughput. Belgium does, however, have relevant plastics-recycling infrastructure capable of processing artificial-turf fractions, including Plastic Recycling Despriet.

  Limitation: Phrase as 'not identified in the current CTE source chain'; this does not prove that no processing activity occurs in Belgium.

  Sources: [1] www.estc.info [2] proxyfields.be

• DATED INDUSTRY GUIDE · 2023 guide

  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] www.estc.info

• COMPANY REPORTED · current 2026

  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

  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

  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] www.parlement-wallonie.be

• DATA GAP · 2026

  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

  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

  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] www.parlement-wallonie.be

• DATA GAP · 2026

  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

  In 2019 Belgium had no processing capacity for fully excavated turf, according to a Dutch government-commissioned report.

• CTE LEGAL STRUCTURE NOTE — OFFICIAL REGIONAL SOURCES · current 2026

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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 · late 2025

  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 · late 2025

  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

  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] www.parlement-wallonie.be [2] www.parlement-wallonie.be

• CTE RESEARCH FINDING — PUBLIC SOURCES · 2026

  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] www.parlement-wallonie.be [3] sport.brussels

• DATA GAP / CLASSIFICATION CAUTION · 2026

  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

  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.