Sports surfaces

If you set foot on almost any sports field, there is a good chance that beneath your feet is recycled material made from an end-of-life tyre. Since 2025, sports fields have been possible to build with locally produced raw material from Finland instead of imported material.

Domestic recycled material supports the finances and carbon targets of municipalities with sports fields

End-of-life tyres have been used in tartan surfacing for sports fields in Finland for decades. In sports field construction, the material’s advantages are its affordable price and versatility. A structure made with bonded rubber granulate and a spray coating applied on top allows water to pass through well and is cost-effective to build.

Rubber granulate can be used in practice on all fields that do not have a so-called full polyurethane surface or a bonded rubber mat, such as the Vmax surface at Stockholm Stadium or the Mondo surface at Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

Recycled material should be used close to where it is produced

Previously, rubber granulate for sports fields was sourced for Finland from abroad, as there was no domestic production. In 2025, the renovation of the Veikkola sports field in Kirkkonummi marked the beginning of a new era in sports field construction with rubber granulate produced at our circular economy facility in Loppi.

In line with the principles of the circular economy, recycled material should be refined and used as close by as possible, which also reduces transport costs and emissions.

Most sports fields in Finland are maintained by municipalities. Domestic recycled raw material produced nearby supports municipalities in maintaining and renovating their sports fields at reasonable cost. At the same time, using recycled raw material helps municipalities achieve their own carbon targets.