Europe

Various systems depending on the state. Extended producer responsibility (EPR), free market, or government responsibility financed through a tax.

Ireland shifted from a free market to an EPR system in 2017.

For physical systems, this depends on the country e.g. France: Aliapur; Italy: Ecopneus; Spain: Signus. For reporting and coordination: ETRMA at EU level.

• Rubber granulates and powder (43%)
• Cement kilns (38%)

• Studies on the impact of health and the environment continue to focus on the use of crumb rubber on artificial turf and are ongoing. Most recently, the committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis of the European Chemicals Agency ECHA adopted and drafted opinions respectively supporting a restriction proposal of the Netherlands to not place granules and mulches on the market if the sum of identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is greater than 20 mg/kg to further reduce risk of an impact on human health.
• In September 2018, the French research institution ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de I’alimentation, de I’environnement et du travail) found that the risk of exposure to granulate in synthetic turf rubber infill was negligible to human health but there was a risk to the environment through transfer of zinc and phenols and that additional measures should be taken in terms of risk assessments and the methodologies of evaluations.
• In February 2017, the EU Chemical Agency published the report “An evaluation of the possible health risks of recycled rubber granules used as infill in synthetic tuff sports fields”, which concluded that there was a very low level of concern regarding exposure to granules.

Innovations and research on advanced ELT technology include projects on efficient pyrolysis technology, use of ELT in asphalt and low noise surfaces, and incorporation of ELT granulate in plastics.

Circular economy strategies, reputation and brand image, cost reduction

Prices of raw materials, alleged health risks, constraints on innovation