Sports infrastructure is evolving. Today, stakeholders are expected to deliver surfaces that combine performance, player safety, and environmental responsibility. From municipalities to clubs, the challenge is clear: how to reduce environmental impact without compromising technical performance.
Developed by Amorim Cork Solutions, Amorim Sports infills are based on cork, a natural, renewable material with unique properties. Lightweight, resilient, and temperature-stable, cork enhances player comfort while supporting consistent surface performance. At the same time, it brings an inherent environmental advantage. Cork naturally captures and stores carbon, contributing to a lower overall footprint when compared to conventional alternatives. By combining material science with circular economy principles, Amorim Cork Solutions delivers infill solutions that integrate sustainability into the core of sports surface design.
To move beyond claims and ensure full transparency, Amorim Cork Solutions conducted independent Life Cycle Assessments for its main infill ranges, Amorim Nature and Amorim Organic. These studies, carried out by Itecons and aligned with the Product Environmental Footprint methodology, evaluate the environmental impact of the products from raw material extraction through manufacturing. The results provide a clear, data-driven view of how these solutions perform across key environmental indicators.
The Amorim Nature range is fully cork-based, leveraging the material’s natural ability to store carbon.
Results show that these infills store between 1.68 and 1.80 kg of CO₂ per kg of product.
In addition, a significant share of the raw material is circular: around 60% recycled cork content, sourced from industrial by-products and post-consumer materials.
From an environmental perspective, the main impact drivers are linked to raw material processing, particularly cork transformation, reinforcing the importance of efficient production and responsible sourcing.
The Amorim Organic range builds on this approach by combining cork with olive stone granules, derived from olive pits, integrating natural and renewable materials into a high-performance infill solution. Designed to meet the performance demands of modern artificial turf systems, this solution combines playability, durability, and environmental performance.
The LCA results confirm carbon storage between 1.40 and 1.41 kg of CO₂ per kg of product, while also incorporating up to 64% recycled cork content sourced from industrial by-products and end-of-life materials. Results show that environmental impact is primarily driven by raw materials, particularly cork and olive stone, as well as their processing and transport.
This highlights a key factor in sustainable turf design: material selection plays a central role in reducing overall environmental impact while maintaining performance.
Sustainability is increasingly a key decision factor in sports infrastructure. However, it requires reliable data and comparable metrics.
By providing independently verified environmental information, Amorim Sports supports more informed decision-making across, ensuring that these solutions help stakeholders align performance requirements with environmental goals, without compromise.
The sustainability of these solutions begins at the source. Cork is harvested without harming the tree, allowing it to regenerate naturally while continuing to absorb CO₂ throughout its lifecycle.
Cork oak landscapes also deliver essential ecosystem services, including biodiversity preservation, soil protection, and water regulation.
By transforming this natural resource into high-performance infill solutions, Amorim Cork Solutions creates a direct link between environmental responsibility and real-world sports applications.
As sustainability becomes a defining factor in sports infrastructure, materials must deliver both performance and measurable impact. Through the Amorim Sports brand, Amorim Cork Solutions provides cork-based infill solutions supported by independent Life Cycle Assessments, enabling stakeholders to make more sustainable, data-driven decisions.
Granulated cork has been increasingly used as an infill in artificial turf systems, offering significant advantages over plastic- or rubber-based synthetic infills.
Discover how Amorim Sports cork infills enhance performance, safety, and sustainability across soccer, American football, rugby, and baseball fields.
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