Is the World Cup held on real grass?

During the annual conference of eco-friendly brands, which was recently held in the American city of San Diego, there was no shortage of passionate speakers and interesting discussions. Reports on the large-scale work being carried out by some of the world’s largest corporations in the name of environmental sustainability throw a ray of hope at the unpleasant fact that the world’s concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 400 parts per million for the first time in human history.
Few topics went unnoticed during the conference, and even international sporting events were discussed.

One concept taken very seriously by these companies is the circular economy. This was the subject of an introductory speech entitled “In Search of Truth: The Economy of a Closed Cycle”, delivered by Alexandre Collo de Escuri, Desso’s General Manager for Worldwide Sports Coatings and Systems.
Based on the principle of regenerative design, the closed-loop economy avoids the linear model, where goods are made from newly mined natural materials whose volumes have limits, used and then discarded. On the contrary, a product is made with reuse in mind, and it is initially designed with materials that can be used repeatedly in other items. Here is what Michael Browngart and William McDonough say in their book The Second Life of Things:
“People have a problem not with pollution but with design. If we had been more prudent in designing products, tools, furniture, houses, factories and cities, we wouldn’t have to worry about waste, pollution or depletion. The right design would preserve the riches of the planet, allow them to be used endlessly and with pleasure.”

So what does this have to do with grass for the World Cup? The company "Desso" produces floor coatings, and products called "GrassMaster" also serves as a coating for the soil. The products manufactured by the company are based on the principles of the circular economy. In one example, during the presentation, Alexander Collo de Escuri showed images of a carpet designed for KLM (pictured below). The basis of the carpet is made of dark brown and gray Norwegian wool, painted with natural dyes, and it is embroidered with a blue pattern with the KLM logo with threads from recycled uniforms. So simple and resourceful carpet from skirts embodied the principles of regenerative design.

Collo de Escuri also showed the audience images of the artificial GrassMaster coating made by the company, and at this stage the World Cup comes into play. After all, the Brazilian Arena Corinthians for matches is laid out with this special coating.
We tend to think of human-made materials as objects of regenerative design, so why not apply this principle to natural, living systems? The grass needs help, no doubt about it. If we could find a way to make grass a more convenient material, the benefits would be for the grass itself, for the planet, and for us.
So, the company "Desso" has proposed a unique hybrid system, which is one hundred percent natural sports lawn grass, reinforced by recycled fibers of artificial coating. Its basis is a carpet, in which these artificial fibers are inserted to a depth of 20 centimeters, and their small bundles come to the surface (pictured below).

When this carpet is laid, we plant grass. As it grows, its natural roots intertwine with artificial fibers and sink deep to the base of the carpet, as shown in the photo. The result is a high-tech, dense and unusually durable coating. We can say that the carpet gives the grass support for growth. The surface removes moisture well, it is easier to care for, it is durable, pleasing to the eye, and also provides excellent conditions for players. And most importantly, it prolongs the life of the grass.

The question of the expediency of using grass for extensive spaces has been raised for a long time, because it is resource-intensive and requires chemical treatment, and the durability of active use is extremely low. But until humanity stops sporting events on the grass, which obviously will never happen, the use of systems like GrassMaster, which increase the wear resistance and durability of coatings is, apparently, the best option.

by MNN

Source: facepla.net