Synthetic turf utilized more than 105 million tires

The Synthetic Turf Council recently announced that as of 2011, the estimated total amount of synthetic turf installed in North America conserves more than three billion gallons of water, reduces smog emissions, eliminates close to a billion pounds of harmful fertilizers and pesticides, and recycles more than 105 million used tires. As a provider of tire recycling services in North America, Pittsburgh-based Liberty Tire Recycling is a part of this eco-friendly solution by manufacturing crumb rubber, an important component used in synthetic turf.

Crumb rubber derived from recycled tires enhances the performance of a variety of sports surfaces, providing infill for sports fields and paving for running tracks. Surfaces made from crumb rubber dry quickly, drain excess moisture, reduce dust and mud, and minimize freezing.

Liberty Tire has supplied the crumb rubber for numerous synthetic turf fields across North America including: The University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan and Ohio State University. The rubberization of athletic surfaces offers many benefits to help prevent injuries and reduce stress on leg muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. The specially designed infill with dust free rubber granules prevent “flyout,” “splashing,” and migration of the base so that traction, drainage and shock absorption are maximized.