Each statement: claim → public source → date → evidence label → limitation. Figures are shown separately and never added together.
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
Current national route shares, actual recycler throughput, cross-border turf-specific tonnage and final destinations by material stream are not fully verified in the German CTE public-source dataset.
Limitation: The noted data gaps should remain visible and should not be filled using unsupported estimates.
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH — HISTORICAL ESTIMATE · historical estimate in UBA 2022 · official_source_verified
UBA's 2022 report stated that expert estimates at the time indicated about 200–250 artificial-turf pitches were renewed annually in Germany.
Limitation: This figure is an expert estimate from 2022 and not a measured national replacement count for 2026.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH — MODELLED HISTORICAL RANGE · historical UBA estimate · official_source_verified
UBA's 2022 report estimated a maximum collection amount of about 40–62.5 kt/year under the simplifying assumption that the 200–250 renewed pitches were all filled systems weighing about 200–250 tonnes per pitch.
Limitation: Formula: 200–250 renewed pitches/year × 200–250 t/filled pitch; UBA describes this as a maximum under an all-filled-system assumption. It is not a measured current national waste statistic and is not applicable to unfilled hockey or all modern turf system types.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH — PROJECTION · 2030 projection published in 2022 · official_source_verified
UBA projected that annual replacement could rise to about 350–400 pitches and about 70–100 kt/year by 2030.
Limitation: This is a forward projection, not a measure of current throughput or a measured 2030 outcome.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current 2026 measured national artificial-turf EOL tonnage for Germany from public sources.
Limitation: The UBA historical range and 2030 projection should be used separately and should not be interpolated into a current figure without a documented model assumption.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
STATE GOVERNMENT — REGIONAL REFERENCE · 2022 regional · official_source_verified
Baden-Württemberg's environment ministry reported in 2022 that around 25 synthetic-turf sports pitches per year were disposed of in that state, with about 200–250 tonnes of material per pitch.
Limitation: This is a regional figure only and must not be extrapolated to Germany without an explicit model.
Sources: [1] um.baden-wuerttemberg.de
· official_source_verified
UBA's 2022 study stated approximately 5,000 existing artificial-turf pitches. A theoretical lifespan-based calculation would suggest 400–450 replacements/year, but expert estimates cited by UBA indicated only approximately 200–250 pitches/year were actually renewed; UBA also cited approximately 150 newly constructed pitches/year.
Limitation: The 400–450 figure is a theoretical replacement calculation, not an observed renewal rate. The 5,000 pitches figure is not an audited 2026 installed-base count.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
COMPANY OFFICIAL + MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT · 2022–2023/current 2026 · company_reported
FormaTurf operates an artificial-turf recycling plant at Am Stadthafen 9, 45356 Essen. The company states operations began in 2022; the City of Essen documented the formal opening in June 2023.
Limitation: The different dates refer to the start of operations and the formal opening, respectively; both are retained.
Sources: [1] formaturf.com [2] essen.de
DATED COMPANY-REPORTED CAPACITY · 2022–2023 · company_reported
Public 2022–2023 sources describe a FormaTurf processing capacity of up to 200 pitches per year (company/industry-reported processing capacity).
Limitation: This is a reported processing capacity, not a verified actual annual throughput. The figure is not converted to tonnes.
Sources: [1] bfv.de [2] euwid-recycling.de
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a public independently verified current annual throughput figure for FormaTurf Essen.
Limitation: The stated capacity of 200 pitches/year or approximately 40 kt/year should not be used as the actual throughput figure.
Sources: [1] formaturf.com
COMPANY REPORTED · current public descriptions · company_reported
FormaTurf publicly describes removal, separation and mechanical recycling of artificial-turf components; public partner material describes wet separation, cleaned sand return and conversion of recovered plastics/rubber into new products.
Limitation: The technology description is company/partner reported and does not by itself prove an annual mass balance or recovery yield.
Sources: [1] formaturf.com [2] bfv.de
COMPANY REPORTED · current public company statements · company_reported
FormaTurf/Polytan publicly report recovered sand returning to sport-field or construction applications and recovered turf/plastic material being used in products such as edging/building elements, grid products and other construction/sports applications.
Limitation: These are publicly stated application categories and do not constitute an independently verified, buyer-by-buyer or tonne-by-tonne mass balance of final destinations.
Sources: [1] formaturf.com [2] bfv.de
· company_reported
The FormaTurf site is reported to have storage space for up to 100 full-size pitches and an operating site of 20,000 m².
Limitation: 100 pitches is storage capacity, not annual recycling throughput; 20,000 m² is the site area, not processing capacity. Public source URL pending.
Sources: [1] polytan.com [2] formaturf.com
· company_reported
KRB Sportboden-Recycling GmbH (Dorfstraße 51, 04860 Torgau / OT Zinna; commercial register HRB 37836, Registergericht Leipzig) is an active company; current public company website and register evidence support current activity.
Limitation: Map location geocoded from the public-record address, not source-verified GPS. Public source URL pending.
Sources: [1] krb-group.de
· company_reported
KRB describes itself as a synthetic-turf recycling specialist with an own certified facility, own logistics and a process of collection, separation, sorting, shredding, cleaning and reuse/recovery. Recovered categories include granulates, quartz sand, base-layer/filler materials and composites; the company states material can be used as feedstock for new artificial-turf products, other plastic products and construction applications.
Limitation: Company-reported material routes, not measured national material flows; not every fraction is proven to reach material recycling. Public source URL pending.
Sources: [1] krb-group.de
· industry_reported
KRB is listed by RAL Gütegemeinschaft Kunststoffbeläge in connection with RAL-GZ 944, with artificial-turf modules 944/8 (removal and recycling of synthetic-turf systems), 944/8.1 (removal) and 944/8.2 (separation).
Limitation: RAL-listed / certified artificial-turf processing activities; certification for a specific downstream recycling module is not inferred. Public source URL pending.
Sources: [1] ral-ggk.eu [2] ral-ggk.eu
· unknown
CTE has not identified a current publicly verified annual processing capacity or actual annual throughput for KRB. An older 25 t/month value (secondary source based on Rambøll 2020) is a historical secondary-source claim and is not used as current capacity; a stated 200+ projects/year is not 200 recycled fields/year.
Limitation: Throughput is not derived from project count, company size, marketing claims, or RAL certification. The 25 t/month value is a historical secondary-source claim and is not used as current capacity.
PUBLIC REGISTER + INDUSTRY LISTING — ADDRESS CONFLICT · 2026 · official_source_verified
PR Recycling GmbH moved its registered company seat from Dieselstraße 9, 70794 Filderstadt (former registered address) to Benzstraße 9–11, 97900 Külsheim, Germany (register change 25 June 2026). Registered company seat — not verified as fixed synthetic-turf processing facility.
Limitation: Do not interpret the current registered seat as proof of the current fixed recycling-plant location. Facility location requires separate verification.
Sources: [1] companyhouse.de [2] online-handelsregister.de [3] ral-ggk.eu
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current national public estimate for German hybrid-turf EOL tonnage.
Limitation: Hybrid systems are considered a separate waste stream.
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current national public estimate for German landscaping artificial-turf installed stock or annual EOL tonnage.
Limitation: Landscape tonnage should not be inferred from sports-pitch data.
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current national public estimate for German leisure/recreation artificial-turf EOL tonnage.
Limitation: This waste stream should not be merged with the sports stream.
PUBLIC TECHNICAL / MUNICIPAL REFERENCE · public reference · industry_reported
Public German references commonly place artificial-turf surface service life around 10–15 years, depending on use, maintenance and system.
Limitation: This is not a universal lifetime; infrastructure layers can have different replacement cycles.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de [2] bfv.de
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not yet identified a public nationwide material-quality passport or harmonised numerical specification for all secondary raw materials recovered from German end-of-life artificial turf.
Limitation: Individual company product specifications or standards may exist and should be recorded separately when publicly available; they do not represent a harmonised national specification.
FEDERAL LAW · current 2026 · official_source_verified
Germany's general End-of-Waste criteria are set out in § 5 KrWG: after recycling or another recovery operation, the material must have a customary use, a market/demand, meet technical/product-law requirements and not cause harmful impacts overall.
Limitation: This is the general legal framework; it does not automatically confer product status on a recycled turf fraction.
Sources: [1] gesetze-im-internet.de
CTE RESEARCH FINDING + FEDERAL LAW · 2026 · official_source_verified
CTE has not identified a German artificial-turf-specific national End-of-Waste ordinance in the current public-source chain; public turf fractions should therefore not be labelled End-of-Waste solely because they have been processed or sold.
Limitation: Within the current CTE public-source chain, a German artificial-turf-specific national End-of-Waste ordinance has not been identified. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that public turf fractions achieve End-of-Waste status solely by being processed or sold.
Sources: [1] gesetze-im-internet.de [2] eur-lex.europa.eu
EU AUTHORITATIVE · 17 October 2031 · official_source_verified
For granular polymeric infill used on artificial sports surfaces, the EU placing-on-market restriction applies from 17 October 2031.
Limitation: This restriction applies to granular polymeric infill placed on the market and should not be described as a blanket ban on artificial-turf pitches.
Sources: [1] echa.europa.eu
EU LAW · 21 May 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 its transitional provisions.
Limitation: The applicable shipment procedure depends on the waste classification, destination, treatment route, and transitional status of the shipment.
Sources: [1] eur-lex.europa.eu
NATIONAL SPORTS ORGANISATION · current public DOSB statement · industry_reported
The exact number of sport-used artificial-turf systems in Germany is not known. DOSB currently cites about 5,000 DFB artificial-turf pitches, about 1,000 DFB mini-pitches and about 480 pitches used mainly for hockey, plus a further unquantified number of sports surfaces.
Limitation: The figures should not be added to form an asserted complete national total, as DOSB explicitly states that a robust complete database is lacking.
Sources: [1] dosb.de
SPORTS GOVERNING BODY RESEARCH · 2024 · industry_reported
A 2024 DFB/HRI study stated that Germany had more than 6,000 artificial-turf football pitches.
Limitation: This is a football-specific public reference and does not represent the complete national count of artificial-turf fields for all sports.
Sources: [1] assets.dfb.de
CTE RESEARCH FINDING — PUBLIC SOURCES · 2026 · unverified
German public sources use different scopes and counting bases; CTE therefore does not publish one single current national artificial-turf field total.
Limitation: Different references may include or exclude mini-pitches, hockey, other sports, or only specific football-pitch categories.
Sources: [1] dosb.de [2] assets.dfb.de [3] dfb.de
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH — HISTORICAL STOCK ESTIMATE · 2022 report using mainly 2020 source inputs · official_source_verified
UBA's 2022 research used an estimated stock of 5,509 large multi-sport/football artificial-turf pitches and 2,000 small pitches, with around 480 hockey pitches discussed separately.
Limitation: This is a historical research estimate, not a current 2026 administrative count; the scope and potential for category overlap should not be ignored.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH · UBA 2022 · official_source_verified
UBA's 2022 study notes that artificial turf has no dedicated German waste code and describes 17 02 03 for filled turf, 19 12 04 for unfilled carpet after mechanical treatment, and municipal-waste codes 20 03 07 / 20 03 01 in certain municipal/small-quantity contexts.
Limitation: These are described classification contexts, not one universal code. The correct waste code depends on the actual waste, treatment stage, and competent-authority interpretation.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH · UBA 2022 research reference · official_source_verified
UBA's 2022 research used an average mass of about 200–250 tonnes for a filled artificial-turf pitch.
Limitation: This is a reference for filled pitches; unfilled hockey and newer low/no-infill systems have different mass profiles.
Sources: [1] umweltbundesamt.de
DATA GAP · 2026 · unknown
CTE has not identified a current country-wide annual tonnage specifically for German end-of-life artificial turf exported or imported in 2026.
Limitation: Generic plastics trade statistics or individual shipment cases should not be substituted for a current, country-wide annual tonnage specifically for German end-of-life artificial turf.
