Athletic Business ran a great article on the influx of new organic infill alternatives to crumb rubber a couple of years ago that still holds value today. This growing trend towards embracing solutions for better infills could potentially revolutionize the way turf systems are designed. BrockFILL was featured prominently as a great new product in this category:
The newest natural infill product to hit the market with claims that it tackles all of those concerns comes from Brock USA, a company heretofore best known for its contributions to synthetic turf safety and performance in the form of underlying shock pads. BrockFILL is an engineered wood particle infill that the company says outperforms other artificial turf infills during rigorous durability, longevity, performance, abrasion, and safety testing. Moreover, Brock claims independent research shows its wood infill provides better traction, less splash, truer ball bounce, and a more natural feel to synthetic turf fields while preventing the scorching hot temperatures caused by crumb rubber infill.
BrockFILL — which Brock USA CEO Dan Sawyer calls “the next step towards a healthier planet” — is sourced and made in the USA from sustainable tree farms that grow for the construction, paper, biofuels, and animal bedding markets. There is zero waste in the manufacturing process and no disposal hazards at the end of the artificial turf field’s life.
Infill’s importance within the field specification process is beginning to sink in with consumers. “A lot of field owners are starting with, ‘What infill do I need? I want to start with the infill first and figure out which infill is going to fit exactly what I’m looking for, and then I’ll build the rest of the system around that,’ ” Coleman says.
