Mercedes-Benz Stadium Extends Trust in FieldTurf CORE with New Surface

The former turf to be fully recycled during the replacement, highlighting FieldTurf’s and AMB Sports and Entertainment’s commitment to sustainability

A new FieldTurf CORE surface has arrived at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer.

FieldTurf has been the surface of choice at the venue since it opened in 2017, and previously at the Georgia Dome.

“Mercedes-Benz Stadium is an iconic world-class venue and we’re honored to be the surface of choice.” Said Eric Daliere, President – Tarkett North America & Tarkett Sports. “As FieldTurf is also based in Georgia, our relationship with AMB Sports and Entertainment is of great pride for our team and is celebrated by cheering on the Falcons, United and numerous events held at the stadium. We’re excited to continue to work with their team and deliver our renowned CORE system, which delivers leading performance, playability and safety.”

When crews removed the existing FieldTurf surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to install the new CORE field — the infill was removed for future use, and the carpet was transported to FieldTurf’s recycling partner. There, proprietary technology removed any remaining infill to produce a clean blend of the face and backing fiber polymers. The clean blend then was pelletized and transformed into pallets, composite wood for decking and siding, and advanced chemical recycling. All components of the field avoided being sent to landfills in the replacement of the surface.

It’s all part of FieldTurf’s Sustain the Game program, a sustainability commitment focused on building for tomorrow. The program aims to offer surfaces that have the lowest impact on people and the planet. Carpet and infill recycling is available on all FieldTurf projects, but the initiative at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, to have the entire field recycled, is a great demonstration of FieldTurf’s commitment and capabilities and AMBSE’s pledge to operating Mercedes-Benz Stadium at the highest sustainable level.

CORE: The Super Fiber, built from FieldTurf’s 20+ years of industry-leading innovation and unmatched expertise, CORE, the first multi-layer dual-polymer fiber ever, rewrites the playbook for sports turf, reinvents the playing field, and redefines the player experience. Engineered for elite level facilities, CORE is designed to deliver a more realistic, textured, grass-like shape with optimal durability and resiliency.

CORE’s performance and safety is backed by multiple independent certified sources. Labosport, a global leader in sport surface certification, tested CORE using the rigorous Fiber Performance Index — which measures durability, resilience and softness. The surface emerged with Labosport’s highest-ever Fiber Performance Index score of 90. The system was also tested to 200,000 cycles on the fiber wear test by Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research. Unlike imitation blended polymer fibers, CORE backs its performance with results.

In the NFL, FieldTurf is the trusted choice of 11 teams. The Falcons, Giants, Jets, Lions, Panthers, Patriots and Seahawks both play and practice on FieldTurf while the Buccaneers, Eagles, Packers, Steelers, practice on FieldTurf.

In the MLS, FieldTurf is at the surface of every club playing on artificial turf. The Charlotte FC, Revolution, Sounders FC, Timbers, United and Whitecaps FC both play and practice on FieldTurf while Austin FC, DC United, Los Angeles FC, Inter Miami CF, CF Montreal, Nashville SC, New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union train on FieldTurf.

In the NCAA, over 1500 programs trust FieldTurf of which includes powerhouse football programs Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon to name a few. Locally, FieldTurf has installed over 250 installations in Georgia of which features Georgia State University, University of North Georgia and Reinhardt University, to name a few.

FieldTurf is a part of Tarkett Sports, a world leader in athletic surfacing, offering a comprehensive portfolio of sports flooring solutions through its brands: FieldTurf, FieldTurf Landscape, Beynon Sports, Renner Sports, GrassMaster, Tarkett Sports Indoor and Tarkett Sports Construction. With a wide range of products including artificial, hybrid and residential turf, running tracks, tennis courts and indoor athletic surfaces, the Tarkett Sports family offers the ultimate surface experience.