Plastics in Sport – The Contribution of UK manufacturers
Jan. 13, 2025
Plastics in Sport – The Contribution of UK manufacturers
Plastics underpinned the staging of the London Olympic Games in and and it is time to celebrate the role that UK manufacturers of plastics products played in the success of the event. The plastics products supplied, in particular those made from PVC had to meet challenging sustainability criteria. UK manufacturers derived invaluable experience through their involvement and are ready to use this in the service of any future sporting event, Olympic or otherwise.
Plastics products were ubiquitous in the London Olympic Park, not just in the sports equipment and clothing but also in the infrastructure such as the stadia housing spectators, in the sanitation and in the catering arrangements. They also had a big role to play in the transportation and communications facilities.
Contents
1 Sports Equipment
2 Infrastructure
3 Clothing and gear
4 Case Studies
4.1 Loughborough University - &#;Jabulani&#; football developed for an outstanding World Cup performance
4.2 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
4.3 ZoteFoams - The lightest footwear for fast running
4.4 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
4.5 Altro Flooring - Safe and sustainable Altro flooring for the Olympic Games
1 Sports Equipment
Plastics has enabled a progreesive lightweighting of sports equipment which has helped athletes to achieve improved performances.Examples include the transformation of early twentieth century tennis rackets from heavier wood to those now made from relatively lighter plastics composites.Likewise both the craft and oars used in rowing have progressed from wood to plastics composites.This facilitates the safe physical manoeuvrability of the equipment . Additionally the design freedom available with plastics has facilitated sleek designs, reducing for example wind resitance and excellent performances.
Plastics products were ubiquitous in the London Olympic Park, not just in the sports equipment and clothing but also in the infrastructure such as the stadia housing spectators, in the sanitation and in the catering arrangements. They also had a big role to play in the transportation and communications facilities.
Contents
1 Sports Equipment
2 Infrastructure
3 Clothing and gear
4 Case Studies
4.1 Loughborough University - &#;Jabulani&#; football developed for an outstanding World Cup performance
4.2 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
4.3 ZoteFoams - The lightest footwear for fast running
4.4 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
4.5 Altro Flooring - Safe and sustainable Altro flooring for the Olympic Games
1 Sports Equipment
Plastics has enabled a progreesive lightweighting of sports equipment which has helped athletes to achieve improved performances.Examples include the transformation of early twentieth century tennis rackets from heavier wood to those now made from relatively lighter plastics composites.Likewise both the craft and oars used in rowing have progressed from wood to plastics composites.This facilitates the safe physical manoeuvrability of the equipment . Additionally the design freedom available with plastics has facilitated sleek designs, reducing for example wind resitance and excellent performances.
2 Infrastructure
Plastics products facilitate the safe enjoyment of major sporting events. Comfortable, ergonomically optimal seating , roofing to protect spectators from the elements and the provision of drinks and meals are all features made possible by plastics.They were extensively used in the external and internal structures of the stadia. swimming arenas and venues hosting the Olympics event with some 140,000 square metres of PVC used in flooring, roofing and other building areas,
Plastics are durable, re-usable and recyclable and constitute an essential component of any sustainability programme attached to a sporting event. PVC products have the backing of the Vinyl Plus initiative undertaken by Europe&#;s PVC manufacturers which has received the recognition of the European Commission and is a partner in the United Nations Environmental Programme.One of the key advantages of plastics is that they are materials of low conductivity and hence save energy.
3 Clothing and gear
Plastics products are widely used for sports clothing. Again they offer the advantages of durability and are difficult to tear. They are also waterproof and can be designed to minimise the wind resistance of an athlete&#;s body. They can also be easily coloured and decorated to ease recognition by spectators and sports officials.The impact resistance of plastics make them ideal materials for the manufacture of safety helmets .
4 Case Studies
4.1 Loughborough University - &#;Jabulani&#; football developed for an outstanding World Cup performance
The football World Cup held in South Africa in featured a brand new and improved adidas ball developed by engineers and scientists at Loughborough University to give maximum performance. The construction of the ball comprises eight 3-D spherically moulded panels which are thermally bonded together. These panels are made of EVA and TPU which are moulded together to deliver a perfectly round shape. The unique &#;Grip&#;n&#;Groove&#; profile of the ball delivers a stable flight and a perfect grip in any weather conditions.
The ball&#;s aero grooves round the entire surface have been added to the design and along with its improved texture for accurate grip make it the most stable and accurate adidas ball ever. &#;I am delighted that Loughborough University have again been asked by adidas to assist them in the development of such a high profile product. It reflects the high esteem that Sports Technology at Loughborough is held in and allows our research to have real impact on the South Africa World Cup&#;, said Dr Andy Harland, from Loughborough University&#;s Sports Technology Institute.
The University&#;s test facilities allowed checking the product&#;s development in a wind tunnel, amongst many other tests, to confirm comparative results together with the adidas football laboratory. It has not been their first football development with Loughborough University, which had also helped develop the European Championship and World Cup balls.&#;
4.2 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
Polypipe, the UK&#;s largest plastic piping systems manufacturer, made a significant contribution to the construction of the London stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village.
Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park. Polypipe supplied a number of product systems for a variety of applications across the Olympic build, including six different systems for the Athletes Village alone. In particular, its renowned Terrain above ground soil and waste drainage systems were used by all of the major projects on the Park, and several innovative products were developed specifically for the project.
One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap firesleeves, which achieved a never-seen-before 4-hour fire protection for above ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet the demands of the Athletes Village. Adam Turk, Polypipe Terrain&#;s Commercial Director, said: &#;Polypipe is extremely proud of the role it has played in the delivery of London projects. The opening ceremony highlighted the UK&#;s fantastic manufacturing heritage to the world, and in turn the British construction industry showed its ability to deliver these landmark projects on time and within budget, while continuously pushing the boundaries in sustainable construction.&#;
Polypipe&#;s contribution to London has previously been recognised by the ODA&#;s &#;Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London Games Construction&#; report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating plastic&#;s contribution. Its products were recently displayed as part of the Building Centre&#;s &#;We Made &#; exhibition, which was designed to showcase the very best work from the companies that helped to create London stadia and infrastructure.
4.3 ZoteFoams - The lightest footwear for fast running
When Nike and Pelé Sports faced the challenge of designing footwear, which is lighter than others available on the market, but also offering good temperature resistance, Zotefoams plc turned out to be the perfect answer for their needs. Zotefoams is a UK manufacturer and the world&#;s leading supplier of closed-cell cross-linked block foams for a variety of applications such as packaging, automotive, construction, medical and sports. Zotefoams developed a special foam for midsoles and insoles for trainers and football boots, called PebaxFoam®, which is five times lighter than EVA foam and provides a higher temperature resistancy. Such a specification enables athletes to run faster due to the better energy return offered by PebaxFoam®.
Zotefoams&#;s products are used in many sport applications including protective pads, helmet liners, mats, swimming aids, back protectors, footwear. Their specialised properties and performance characteristics make foams the natural choice for many different uses.
4.4 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
Polypipe, the UK&#;s largest plastic piping systems manufacturer, made a significant contribution to the construction of the London stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village. Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park.
Polypipe supplied a number of product systems for a variety of applications across the Olympic build, including six different systems for the Athletes Village alone. In particular, its renowned Terrain above ground soil and waste drainage systems were used by all of the major projects on the Park, and several innovative products were developed specifically for the project. One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap fire sleeves, which achieved a never-seen-before 4-hour fire protection for above ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet the demands of the Athletes Village.
Adam Turk, Polypipe Terrain&#;s Commercial Director, said: &#;Polypipe is extremely proud of the role it has played in the delivery of London projects. The opening ceremony highlighted the UK&#;s fantastic manufacturing heritage to the world, and in turn the British construction industry showed its ability to deliver these landmark projects on time and within budget, while continuously pushing the boundaries in sustainable construction.&#;
Polypipe&#;s contribution to London has previously been recognised by the ODA&#;s &#;Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London Games Construction&#; report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating plastic&#;s contribution. Its products were recently displayed as part of the Building Centre&#;s &#;We Made &#; exhibition, which was designed to showcase the very best work from the companies that helped to create London stadia and infrastructure.
The Olympic Park Featured a Large Amount of Polypipe Products
4.5 Altro Flooring - Safe and sustainable Altro flooring for the Olympic Games
A UK manufacturer Altro, was the only PVC manufacturer of safety flooring and hygienic wall cladding approved for use at the Games. Supplying over 50,000 square metres of flooring to 33 different London Olympic venues. The supplier had to prove to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) that their flooring complied with their Policy for the supply of PVC into the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kevin Webb from Altro said: &#;The vision of the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) was to create the most sustainable Olympic Games in history, consequently, the criteria to become an approved supplier were extremely robust.&#; After four years of communication with the London Organizing Committee Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) Altro was granted the lifetime opportunity to be part of the most sustainable games up to date, London .
Water Polo Arena, with Altro Xpresslay, London Olympics
A total of 15 different products were delivered to the venues meeting specific criteria, for example the temporary structures of the games were laid with Altro XpressLayTM which is the first ever adhesive-free safety flooring easy to remove and either re-use or recycle after the event. In the more heavy traffic locations such as McDonalds at the Olympic site, which was the largest restaurant of the chain ever constructed, a non-slip and hardwearing and even sound absorbent Altro Stronghold TM floor was offered.
As Altro XpressLay is loose laid instead of bonded to the subfloor with an adhesive like a conventional safety flooring, it is also possible to re-use it in a different location and benefit different users. One of the recipients of some of the Altro XpressLay with such a prestigious history was St. John&#;s Primary School in Kent, UK. Sally Quirk, Head Teacher at St John&#;s Primary School said &#;The installation has changed the school beyond recognition and has given the pupils the opportunity to tread the same floor as the Olympians trod, which is so inspirational for them."
Plastics are durable, re-usable and recyclable and constitute an essential component of any sustainability programme attached to a sporting event. PVC products have the backing of the Vinyl Plus initiative undertaken by Europe&#;s PVC manufacturers which has received the recognition of the European Commission and is a partner in the United Nations Environmental Programme.One of the key advantages of plastics is that they are materials of low conductivity and hence save energy.
3 Clothing and gear
Plastics products are widely used for sports clothing. Again they offer the advantages of durability and are difficult to tear. They are also waterproof and can be designed to minimise the wind resistance of an athlete&#;s body. They can also be easily coloured and decorated to ease recognition by spectators and sports officials.The impact resistance of plastics make them ideal materials for the manufacture of safety helmets .
4 Case Studies
4.1 Loughborough University - &#;Jabulani&#; football developed for an outstanding World Cup performance
The football World Cup held in South Africa in featured a brand new and improved adidas ball developed by engineers and scientists at Loughborough University to give maximum performance. The construction of the ball comprises eight 3-D spherically moulded panels which are thermally bonded together. These panels are made of EVA and TPU which are moulded together to deliver a perfectly round shape. The unique &#;Grip&#;n&#;Groove&#; profile of the ball delivers a stable flight and a perfect grip in any weather conditions.
The ball&#;s aero grooves round the entire surface have been added to the design and along with its improved texture for accurate grip make it the most stable and accurate adidas ball ever. &#;I am delighted that Loughborough University have again been asked by adidas to assist them in the development of such a high profile product. It reflects the high esteem that Sports Technology at Loughborough is held in and allows our research to have real impact on the South Africa World Cup&#;, said Dr Andy Harland, from Loughborough University&#;s Sports Technology Institute.
The University&#;s test facilities allowed checking the product&#;s development in a wind tunnel, amongst many other tests, to confirm comparative results together with the adidas football laboratory. It has not been their first football development with Loughborough University, which had also helped develop the European Championship and World Cup balls.&#;
4.2 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
Polypipe, the UK&#;s largest plastic piping systems manufacturer, made a significant contribution to the construction of the London stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village.
Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park. Polypipe supplied a number of product systems for a variety of applications across the Olympic build, including six different systems for the Athletes Village alone. In particular, its renowned Terrain above ground soil and waste drainage systems were used by all of the major projects on the Park, and several innovative products were developed specifically for the project.
One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap firesleeves, which achieved a never-seen-before 4-hour fire protection for above ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet the demands of the Athletes Village. Adam Turk, Polypipe Terrain&#;s Commercial Director, said: &#;Polypipe is extremely proud of the role it has played in the delivery of London projects. The opening ceremony highlighted the UK&#;s fantastic manufacturing heritage to the world, and in turn the British construction industry showed its ability to deliver these landmark projects on time and within budget, while continuously pushing the boundaries in sustainable construction.&#;
Polypipe&#;s contribution to London has previously been recognised by the ODA&#;s &#;Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London Games Construction&#; report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating plastic&#;s contribution. Its products were recently displayed as part of the Building Centre&#;s &#;We Made &#; exhibition, which was designed to showcase the very best work from the companies that helped to create London stadia and infrastructure.
4.3 ZoteFoams - The lightest footwear for fast running
When Nike and Pelé Sports faced the challenge of designing footwear, which is lighter than others available on the market, but also offering good temperature resistance, Zotefoams plc turned out to be the perfect answer for their needs. Zotefoams is a UK manufacturer and the world&#;s leading supplier of closed-cell cross-linked block foams for a variety of applications such as packaging, automotive, construction, medical and sports. Zotefoams developed a special foam for midsoles and insoles for trainers and football boots, called PebaxFoam®, which is five times lighter than EVA foam and provides a higher temperature resistancy. Such a specification enables athletes to run faster due to the better energy return offered by PebaxFoam®.
Zotefoams&#;s products are used in many sport applications including protective pads, helmet liners, mats, swimming aids, back protectors, footwear. Their specialised properties and performance characteristics make foams the natural choice for many different uses.
4.4 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
Polypipe, the UK&#;s largest plastic piping systems manufacturer, made a significant contribution to the construction of the London stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village. Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park.
Polypipe supplied a number of product systems for a variety of applications across the Olympic build, including six different systems for the Athletes Village alone. In particular, its renowned Terrain above ground soil and waste drainage systems were used by all of the major projects on the Park, and several innovative products were developed specifically for the project. One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap fire sleeves, which achieved a never-seen-before 4-hour fire protection for above ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet the demands of the Athletes Village.
Adam Turk, Polypipe Terrain&#;s Commercial Director, said: &#;Polypipe is extremely proud of the role it has played in the delivery of London projects. The opening ceremony highlighted the UK&#;s fantastic manufacturing heritage to the world, and in turn the British construction industry showed its ability to deliver these landmark projects on time and within budget, while continuously pushing the boundaries in sustainable construction.&#;
Polypipe&#;s contribution to London has previously been recognised by the ODA&#;s &#;Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London Games Construction&#; report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating plastic&#;s contribution. Its products were recently displayed as part of the Building Centre&#;s &#;We Made &#; exhibition, which was designed to showcase the very best work from the companies that helped to create London stadia and infrastructure.
The Olympic Park Featured a Large Amount of Polypipe Products
4.5 Altro Flooring - Safe and sustainable Altro flooring for the Olympic Games
A UK manufacturer Altro, was the only PVC manufacturer of safety flooring and hygienic wall cladding approved for use at the Games. Supplying over 50,000 square metres of flooring to 33 different London Olympic venues. The supplier had to prove to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) that their flooring complied with their Policy for the supply of PVC into the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kevin Webb from Altro said: &#;The vision of the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) was to create the most sustainable Olympic Games in history, consequently, the criteria to become an approved supplier were extremely robust.&#; After four years of communication with the London Organizing Committee Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) Altro was granted the lifetime opportunity to be part of the most sustainable games up to date, London .
Water Polo Arena, with Altro Xpresslay, London Olympics
A total of 15 different products were delivered to the venues meeting specific criteria, for example the temporary structures of the games were laid with Altro XpressLayTM which is the first ever adhesive-free safety flooring easy to remove and either re-use or recycle after the event. In the more heavy traffic locations such as McDonalds at the Olympic site, which was the largest restaurant of the chain ever constructed, a non-slip and hardwearing and even sound absorbent Altro Stronghold TM floor was offered.
As Altro XpressLay is loose laid instead of bonded to the subfloor with an adhesive like a conventional safety flooring, it is also possible to re-use it in a different location and benefit different users. One of the recipients of some of the Altro XpressLay with such a prestigious history was St. John&#;s Primary School in Kent, UK. Sally Quirk, Head Teacher at St John&#;s Primary School said &#;The installation has changed the school beyond recognition and has given the pupils the opportunity to tread the same floor as the Olympians trod, which is so inspirational for them."
The football World Cup held in South Africa in featured a brand new and improved adidas ball developed by engineers and scientists at Loughborough University to give maximum performance. The construction of the ball comprises eight 3-D spherically moulded panels which are thermally bonded together. These panels are made of EVA and TPU which are moulded together to deliver a perfectly round shape. The unique &#;Grip&#;n&#;Groove&#; profile of the ball delivers a stable flight and a perfect grip in any weather conditions.
The ball&#;s aero grooves round the entire surface have been added to the design and along with its improved texture for accurate grip make it the most stable and accurate adidas ball ever. &#;I am delighted that Loughborough University have again been asked by adidas to assist them in the development of such a high profile product. It reflects the high esteem that Sports Technology at Loughborough is held in and allows our research to have real impact on the South Africa World Cup&#;, said Dr Andy Harland, from Loughborough University&#;s Sports Technology Institute.
The University&#;s test facilities allowed checking the product&#;s development in a wind tunnel, amongst many other tests, to confirm comparative results together with the adidas football laboratory. It has not been their first football development with Loughborough University, which had also helped develop the European Championship and World Cup balls.&#;
4.2 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
Polypipe, the UK&#;s largest plastic piping systems manufacturer, made a significant contribution to the construction of the London stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village.
Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park. Polypipe supplied a number of product systems for a variety of applications across the Olympic build, including six different systems for the Athletes Village alone. In particular, its renowned Terrain above ground soil and waste drainage systems were used by all of the major projects on the Park, and several innovative products were developed specifically for the project.
One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap firesleeves, which achieved a never-seen-before 4-hour fire protection for above ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet the demands of the Athletes Village. Adam Turk, Polypipe Terrain&#;s Commercial Director, said: &#;Polypipe is extremely proud of the role it has played in the delivery of London projects. The opening ceremony highlighted the UK&#;s fantastic manufacturing heritage to the world, and in turn the British construction industry showed its ability to deliver these landmark projects on time and within budget, while continuously pushing the boundaries in sustainable construction.&#;
Polypipe&#;s contribution to London has previously been recognised by the ODA&#;s &#;Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London Games Construction&#; report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating plastic&#;s contribution. Its products were recently displayed as part of the Building Centre&#;s &#;We Made &#; exhibition, which was designed to showcase the very best work from the companies that helped to create London stadia and infrastructure.
4.3 ZoteFoams - The lightest footwear for fast running
When Nike and Pelé Sports faced the challenge of designing footwear, which is lighter than others available on the market, but also offering good temperature resistance, Zotefoams plc turned out to be the perfect answer for their needs. Zotefoams is a UK manufacturer and the world&#;s leading supplier of closed-cell cross-linked block foams for a variety of applications such as packaging, automotive, construction, medical and sports. Zotefoams developed a special foam for midsoles and insoles for trainers and football boots, called PebaxFoam®, which is five times lighter than EVA foam and provides a higher temperature resistancy. Such a specification enables athletes to run faster due to the better energy return offered by PebaxFoam®.
Zotefoams&#;s products are used in many sport applications including protective pads, helmet liners, mats, swimming aids, back protectors, footwear. Their specialised properties and performance characteristics make foams the natural choice for many different uses.
4.4 Polypipe &#; Manufacturing Gold Standard Plastic Products
Polypipe, the UK&#;s largest plastic piping systems manufacturer, made a significant contribution to the construction of the London stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village. Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park.
Polypipe supplied a number of product systems for a variety of applications across the Olympic build, including six different systems for the Athletes Village alone. In particular, its renowned Terrain above ground soil and waste drainage systems were used by all of the major projects on the Park, and several innovative products were developed specifically for the project. One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap fire sleeves, which achieved a never-seen-before 4-hour fire protection for above ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet the demands of the Athletes Village.
Adam Turk, Polypipe Terrain&#;s Commercial Director, said: &#;Polypipe is extremely proud of the role it has played in the delivery of London projects. The opening ceremony highlighted the UK&#;s fantastic manufacturing heritage to the world, and in turn the British construction industry showed its ability to deliver these landmark projects on time and within budget, while continuously pushing the boundaries in sustainable construction.&#;
Polypipe&#;s contribution to London has previously been recognised by the ODA&#;s &#;Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London Games Construction&#; report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating plastic&#;s contribution. Its products were recently displayed as part of the Building Centre&#;s &#;We Made &#; exhibition, which was designed to showcase the very best work from the companies that helped to create London stadia and infrastructure.
The Olympic Park Featured a Large Amount of Polypipe Products
4.5 Altro Flooring - Safe and sustainable Altro flooring for the Olympic Games
A UK manufacturer Altro, was the only PVC manufacturer of safety flooring and hygienic wall cladding approved for use at the Games. Supplying over 50,000 square metres of flooring to 33 different London Olympic venues. The supplier had to prove to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) that their flooring complied with their Policy for the supply of PVC into the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kevin Webb from Altro said: &#;The vision of the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) was to create the most sustainable Olympic Games in history, consequently, the criteria to become an approved supplier were extremely robust.&#; After four years of communication with the London Organizing Committee Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) Altro was granted the lifetime opportunity to be part of the most sustainable games up to date, London .
Water Polo Arena, with Altro Xpresslay, London Olympics
A total of 15 different products were delivered to the venues meeting specific criteria, for example the temporary structures of the games were laid with Altro XpressLayTM which is the first ever adhesive-free safety flooring easy to remove and either re-use or recycle after the event. In the more heavy traffic locations such as McDonalds at the Olympic site, which was the largest restaurant of the chain ever constructed, a non-slip and hardwearing and even sound absorbent Altro Stronghold TM floor was offered.
As Altro XpressLay is loose laid instead of bonded to the subfloor with an adhesive like a conventional safety flooring, it is also possible to re-use it in a different location and benefit different users. One of the recipients of some of the Altro XpressLay with such a prestigious history was St. John&#;s Primary School in Kent, UK. Sally Quirk, Head Teacher at St John&#;s Primary School said &#;The installation has changed the school beyond recognition and has given the pupils the opportunity to tread the same floor as the Olympians trod, which is so inspirational for them."
Why PVC is Not a Slam Dunk for the Environment
Time To Stop Using PVC in Sporting Equipment
Did you know that one material commonly used in the sports industry is actually causing harm to the environment? PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, can be found in products like basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, baseball gloves, athletic shoes, and even gym mats. While it may seem harmless, PVC is actually a material that should be avoided because of its devastating effects on the environment. In this blog post, we will discuss the harmful effects of PVC and offer eco-friendly alternatives that basketball, soccer, football, & baseball players and athletes can use instead.
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Facts About the Harm of PVC In Sports:
PVC is one of the most toxic plastics, and its production and disposal have severe consequences for both the environment and human health. For instance, the production of PVC requires the use of toxic chemicals, including dioxins, which are hazardous to human health and linked to cancer. Moreover, when PVC products are disposed of, they release toxic chemicals into the environment and take hundreds of years to break down.
Sustainable Alternatives to PVC In Athletics:
Fortunately, there are eco-friendly alternatives to PVC. One such alternative is TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane, which is a durable, flexible, and lightweight plastic. TPU does not contain toxic chemicals, and it can be recycled. Another alternative to PVC is mushroom leather, an innovative material made from the roots of mushrooms. Mushroom leather is biodegradable, sustainable, and cruelty-free, making it an excellent option for eco-conscious basketball players and athletes.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit PVC Sports Flooring.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Alternatives:
Switching to eco-friendly alternatives to PVC has several benefits. First, it reduces the carbon footprint of the sports industry, which is notorious for its environmental impact. Second, it reduces the use of toxic chemicals in production, which is crucial for the health of people and the planet. Third, eco-friendly alternatives are often more sustainable and biodegradable, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy.
How to Choose Eco-Friendly Sports Products:
Choosing eco-friendly products can be a challenge, especially if you are used to buying traditional products that contain PVC. One way to choose eco-friendly products is to look for certifications or labels that indicate the product's eco-friendliness. For instance, products that are Climate Pledge Friendly on amazon are sustainable, eco-friendly, and ethical. Another way to choose eco-friendly products is to do your research, read product labels, and ask questions about the materials used in production.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website PP Interlocking Tiles.
What Can We Do as Consumers?
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