Riverdale School's Organic Synthetic Field

Riverdale Country School's Organic Synthetic Playing Field

Riverdale Country School, a Charter Member of the Green Schools Alliance, is dedicated to being a green institution and lowering its carbon footprint. Recently, Riverdale transitioned to a new synthetic playing surface for their field renovation, and selected a cork and coconut fiber fill called GeoTurf, made by Limonta Sport USA.

David Patnaude, Riverdale’s Director of Plant & Sustainability, was instrumental in making the decision to go with the alternative organic option to crumb rubber. “Riverdale Country School chose Geo Turf because it allowed us to obtain a high-value synthetic surface that had a certified lead-free filament plus a sustainable infill comprised of cork with coconut fibers. While we were interested in a high quality synthetic turf field, we wanted to have the smallest environmental impact possible.”

The combination of coconut fibers and cork has been installed in over 100 fields worldwide, but the Riverdale Country School installation is the first full-sized sports field in North America utilizing this organic fill. The Bertino Field installation is expected to reduce operation and maintenance costs by $31,000 annually compared with natural grass, while reducing air and noise pollution, the use of fossil fuels, and the carbon footprint associated with grass maintenance. It is estimated that the lead free synthetic turf field will conserve nearly 2 million gallons of water per year and eliminate the need for pesticides and fertilizers. Removing the need for soil additives, combined with the organic composition of the infill, means there is no threat of water or soil contamination or urban runoff.

The organic infill also replicates the evaporative cycle of natural turf, greatly reducing the heat signature of both surface and air temperatures. Unlike crumb rubber fields, it does not contribute to heat island effect. The Geo Turf system is 100% recycleable. Unlike crumb rubber, the organic infill can be recycled on site as a planting medium, or as a soil additive in a rain garden. The remaining fill can be brought to a local cement kiln and burned as an alternate fuel source.

Riverdale Country School opened Bertino Field in the fall of 2009 with a resounding 5-0 field hockey playoff victory. The field has been met with rave reviews from both students and faculty. One player said “it’s just like natural grass, it’s perfect.”

Read more about Riverdale Country School.