A new high-performance, 100% biodegradable fiber has been launched to help better manage end-of-life solutions for hybrid sports pitches.

Bio-X™ is a revolutionary hybrid fiber introduced by international sports surface specialist SIS Pitches to deliver true circularity for forward-thinking clubs and venues. Its unique formulation blends different state-of-the-art core components derived from natural sources to create a fiber with the strength, durability and flexibility needed to reinforce high-impact sports pitches, while also being designed to biodegrade through industrial decomposition at the end of its natural life.

The formulation of Bio-X™ has a patent pending and results from the trial of over 80 formulations across seven different countries. The result is a fiber engineered to meet the demands of world class sport, including professional soccer, football, golf, tennis and cricket. Like conventional fossil-based polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene-based hybrid fibres, Bio-X™ is designed to offer a durable playing surface that recovers quickly from intensive use. The fiber also ensures consistent performance for play but with the standout benefit of being biodegradable.

Each time a hybrid sports pitch is replaced, several tonnes of plastic fiber are removed from the surface – material that is costly, difficult to process and recycle and often ends up in landfill, where it can remain for decades. SIS Pitches’ Bio‑X™ Fiber tackles this problem head‑on by giving forward‑thinking clubs and venues a 100% biodegradable alternative that is fully traceable from manufacture to disposal.

Engineered to behave like traditional thermoplastics and certified for industrial composting, Bio-X™ offers a seamless transition to sustainable hybrid pitch, with no persistent microplastics remaining after disposal. This is a key advantage for clubs and venues subject to increasingly strict ESG reporting and compliance.

Bio-X™ is made using a proprietary blend of ingredients derived from corn and sugarcane plant sugars, as well as bacteria, which are converted into high-performance biopolymers, all of which meet the world’s most stringent safety standards, including FDA Food Contact approval. Pigmentation, UV stability and ease of processing are enhanced through the addition of a unique biodegradable masterbatch, which is added to the formulation prior to extrusion through specialised machinery.

Crucially for clubs and facility owners, Bio-X™ integrates seamlessly into existing hybrid installation processes, with no extra specialist equipment required. The same applies to ongoing pitch maintenance, which can also be carried out with no change to the established routines applied to polyethylene or polypropylene-based hybrid pitches.

To validate the product, Bio-X™ has undergone rigorous independent testing by specialist labs which confirmed comparable strength and stability over an extended period to the standard, non-biodegradable polyethylene fibres currently used within the sports turf market. The new state-of-the-art fibre also has TÜV AUSTRIA OK Biobased certification to independently verify that the product is bio-based, while TÜV AUSTRIA OK Compost INDUSTRIAL certification is pending and will verify that the product is has been tested to achieve 99.9% degradation through composting within 12 weeks.

Bio-X fibers can be processed with green waste – without the need to separate – via industrial composting, which is widely available in most major cities and towns. This means Bio-X™ can lower pitch disposal costs at the time of replacement while providing a more convenient and more sustainable end-of-life option.

Ivo Lamot, CEO at SIS Pitches said: “Environmental sustainability has been central to many of the commitments we make as a business, from reducing our factories’ energy consumption to recycling replacement pitches. We’re acutely aware of the role we can play in reducing the impact sport can have on the natural environment too, which is where Bio-X™ can really make a significant impact.

“This latest innovation gives forward-thinking clubs and facility owners a truly circular alternative to conventional hybrid fibres, which have been considered the only viable option since the technology became a standard for clubs and venues.

“We’ve been meticulous in ensuring Bio-X™ is derived from the optimum blend of natural products yet require no change to standard installation or maintenance best practice. In introducing Bio-X™, we’re showing how even elite level sport can be played to the highest standard, but on a surface that leaves no persistent microplastics or forever chemicals at the end of its natural life.”

Bio-X™ is currently installed at multiple sporting venues around the world including the San Francisco 49ers training facility and global consultancy STRI’s testing facility in Bingley, West Yorkshire.

For more information on SIS Pitches, visit www.sispitches.com/bio-x