Climate protection, sustainability and the circular economy have long been an important topic in most town halls in Germany. More and more municipalities have recognised the signs of the times, are committed to sustainable urban development and are making their contribution to Agenda 2030. The response to the NEW LIFE competition for sustainable municipalities was correspondingly positive throughout Germany. The winner was the municipality of Bad Zwischenahn, which had entered the competition with a project to upgrade a playground with ELT recycled products with a focus on inclusion. Second place went to the Bavarian municipality of Sonderhofen, which plans to renovate several playgrounds with products made from rubber granulate (ELT).
Hundreds of cities and municipalities of all sizes and from all regions were interested in the NEW LIFE competition and in implementing sustainable urban development measures with high-quality recycled products made from rubber powder and rubber granulate (ELT). By using products made from recycled tyres, resources can be conserved, CO2 emissions saved and waste avoided. The products made from recycled rubber granulate are sustainable, weather-resistant, non-slip, easy to process, low-maintenance and can be customised in terms of shape and colour.
At the end of September, the NEW LIFE jury selected the two winning municipalities. First place went to the municipality of Bad Zwischenahn (Lower Saxony). Here, a local neighbourhood playground is to be upgraded with a focus on inclusive play. The central element is a nest swing designed as a pendulum swing. The surface is paved with a plastic floor made from ELT recycled products and enables barrier-free play. The jury was particularly impressed by the project's successful combination of sustainability and inclusion.
Second place in the competition for local authorities went to Sonderhofen. Over the next few months, this committed Bavarian municipality plans to sustainably renovate five playgrounds, using fall protection surfaces made from elastic, durable rubber granulate (ELT) as well as sandpit surrounds and roundabouts made from high-quality recycled tyres.
The city of Bedburg (sustainable renovation of a disused sports field with ELT impact protection flooring), the city of Herdecke (artificial turf renovation of small playing fields with a base layer made of ELT rubber granulate) and the city of Wendlingen am Neckar (road construction with rubber-modified asphalt) also made it into the top 5 of the NEW LIFE competition. The NEW LIFE jury was impressed by the variety of projects submitted. Numerous possible applications for sustainable recycled products made from rubber powder and rubber granulate (ELT) in municipal urban development were covered:
- Equipping playgrounds, daycare centres or retirement homes with elastic fall protection flooring
- Attractive enhancement of public spaces and green areas with customisable flooring, paths, edging, decorative objects, etc.
- Equipping sports facilities with weatherproof, joint-friendly running tracks
- Protection of building roofs with photovoltaic systems and green roofs with weather-resistant building protection mats
- Road renovation with durable rubber-modified asphalt
- Sustainable emission protection with durable privacy and noise barriers and much more.
An overview of sustainable recycling products for municipal use can be found here: https://initiative-new-life.de/recycling-produkt-uebersicht.
