Bülach tests plastic ice as cities seek alternatives to chilled rinks

The Swiss city of Bülach is testing a synthetic ice rink that could reduce water and energy use, SRF reports. The three-month trial is also a temporary replacement while the hail-damaged roof of the Hirslen ice hall is repaired.

The rink, made from recycled plastic, has been set up in the car park of the Hirslen sports complex. Bülach plans to assess whether clubs and schools can use it successfully and whether the system could eventually replace an outdoor ice rink.

Instead of skating with ordinary blades, users attach small steel rollers, called “Sharkblades”, beneath their regular skates. Bülach city councillor Daniel Ammann said the experience should feel about 97 per cent like skating on real ice. The system’s developer, Ricardo Signorell, said the rollers and plastic surface had been designed to work together.

Unlike chilled ice rinks, plastic surfaces do not need electricity for cooling or water to make the ice. Municipalities are also interested in the possibility of using them throughout the year. Glice, a manufacturer cited by SRF, says a conventional ice rink can use up to 840 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 600 litres of water per square metre each year, while producing around 415 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The environmental comparison is not clear-cut. Producing, transporting and disposing of plastic panels also uses resources, and plastic wear could release particles. The WWF has raised concerns about microplastic from conventional synthetic rinks, while Glice says it has reduced abrasion. Bülach’s roller-based system is different, but available information does not show how much abrasion it causes. SRF says there is not yet a comprehensive independent life-cycle assessment comparing chilled and synthetic rinks.