The Artificial Grass Campaign

The artificial grass campaign

Norway has more than 1,500 football pitches with artificial grass filled with chopped-up car tires (“rubber infill”). About 6–7% of the rubber infill finds its way to nature every year, which equals approximately 6,000 tons of rubber. Rubber infill from football pitches is the largest source of microplastic pollution in Norway.

The rubber infill is fatal for nature, including animal life in water and on land. The use of chopped-up car tires as infill must therefore stop. Some municipalities in Norway have already banned the use of rubber infill on football pitches. From 2031, it will be illegal to sell rubber infills to football pitches throughout Europe (EU regulation).

What does this mean for Norwegian football?

Transforming Norwegian football away from rubber infill is inevitable but challenging.

  • The transformation costs are high.
  • No supplements are currently performing as well as the rubber infills.
  • The challenge is therefore two-sided, encompassing both financial and communication challenges.

If we fail to secure financing, football activities will be reduced, and people will protest. If we fail in communication, the football community will also protest. Such protests will be infectious on people’s green will and subsequently slow down the green shift. This must therefore be avoided.

We Play Green’s position

We Play Green supports the EU’s efforts to reduce microplastic pollution. Football has a responsibility to be part of the solution, not the problem. While synthetic pitches have been crucial for Norwegian football, especially for year-round activity, we must now find sustainable alternatives that protect both the sport and the environment.

Morten speaking at the UEFA Respect Forum 2023.

Critique of the NFF’s approach

The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) has asked the government for 100% coverage of the transition costs. We Play Green is critical of the NFF’s approach and requirements, for several reasons:

1. Communication and responsibility
  • NFF wrongfully denies responsibility and points to regulation as the reason for the need for transformation.
  • Despite the environmental damages having been known for years, NFF denies ownership and claims that the situation is so extraordinary that the government must intervene.
  • Essential institutions like NFF must communicate full responsibility and ownership for environmental damages caused by their activities.
2. Financial solution
  • The football community can finance the transition independently.
  • The suggested solution is, therefore, disproportionately expensive for taxpayers.
  • Requiring 100% governmental support conveys the wrong attitude and creates an unfortunate precedent for other green transitions.
  • If every transmission requires governmental financing, the green transition process will halt. Governments cannot finance all transmission needs.
3. Arguments
  • WPG is critical to the argument that building football pitches should be prioritised in governments’ inclusion and health budgets.
  • WPG is critical to the argument that grassroots football cannot participate in the financing. The financing needed equals NOK 500 a year per player
  • WPG is critical to the argument that high-end bottom-heated pitches are needed also for grassroots football for <13 year olds

4. Impact on the green shift

  • We need increased green will among the people to accelerate the green shift
  • Football’s commitment to nature has an enormous impact on people’s green will
  • If we drive the football community’s commitment to nature, this will rub off on the whole society and subsequently drive people’s general green will and speed up the green shift
  • A project aiming to drive the football community’s commitment to nature will also attract funding and support from players, sponsors, philanthropists, governments and grassroots families, enabling a self-financing and independent solution to the problem.
  • Money invested in an independent project will therefore have a double impact and yield, both financing the transmission and driving people’s green will.
  • If the government solve the problem for football without high demands on reciprocities, the football community will not mobilise its enormous influential force, and nature will miss a huge opportunity to create change.

WPG founder and national team player Morten Thorsby has been a clear and critical voice in the artificial pitch transition debate. We call for action and responsibility from the football community, rather than resistance without an independent solution.

Read more: Morten Thorsby’s opinions

WPG’s independent and alternative campaign project

We Play Green has designed an independent campaign project; «Kunstgressdugnaden».  The project is designed to make it possible for everyone to contribute, including players, clubs, associations, sponsors, government, philantropists and the grassroots. We believe the project have the ability to create enthusiasm both in the football community and among politicians. We claim the project is “Rich, Balanced and Nature-Friendly”.

The key campaign elements are:

  • Green Pass subscriptions by grassroots
  • Nature campaigns with professional players, clubs and national teams
  • Nature sponsorship programs for grassroots clubs

The campaign and its different elements will be marketed by professional players, clubs and national teams.