European material flows

Cross-border material flows and traceability

Where does end-of-life artificial turf cross a border, who receives it, and how far can it actually be followed?

01

Traceability hierarchy

A chain is only as strong as its last documented step. Reaching level 3 means the material was received somewhere, not that it was recycled.

CTE Principle

Export is not a final destination. A shipment leaving the country tells you where the material went next, not what happened to it.

Origin → Border → Importer → Receiving facility → Process → Output → End market → Final product

  1. 1Origin known
  2. 2Border crossing documented
  3. 3Receiving facility named
  4. 4Process applied known
  5. 5Output material specified
  6. 6End market named
  7. 7Final product verified

02

Map

Arrow thickness follows documented tonnage. A dashed arrow means the movement is described in a source but not quantified, or the chain was interrupted.

Evidence

CTE Data noteExport is not a final destination. A shipment leaving the country tells you where the material went next, not what happened to it.