Synthetic ice is revolutionizing the ice skating landscape. Material that looks and feels like ice, can be set up quickly, and doesn’t melt in the summer weather? What’s not to love?\
Some customers might say, the impact on the environment. After all, synthetic ice is a type of plastic. It is natural to worry about landfills and chemicals.
When it comes to the ice used here at Anytime Ice, though, you have nothing to fear. Our synthetic ice is eco-friendly and ready to create fun without creating problems. Here is a look at how our synthetic ice is environmentally friendly.
Our synthetic ice rinks don’t use water.
Natural ice rinks take a lot of water to create. A professional ice rink uses more than 10,000 gallons of water to create a sheet of ice one inch thick. That is the equivalent of more than 200 baths. That number does not include the water the Zamboni uses every time it resurfaces the ice. That is a lot of water to use at a time when conserving water can benefit our oceans, streams, and communities.
In contrast, synthetic ice uses no water. The sheets of synthetic ice simply fit together into the shape and size that you want and then you can begin to enjoy skating on the ice-like surface. As a result, our synthetic ice rinks conserve water that would otherwise be used to create natural ice rinks.
Synthetic ice does not use electricity.
Natural ice rinks use more than just water. They also require electricity to run the refrigeration units that keep the ice frozen. An average ice rink can use up to two million kWh every single year. That electricity is often created from resources, like fossil fuels, that pollute the environment.
Synthetic ice rinks, like those at Anytime Ice, on the other hand, do not require electricity to work. Once the sheets are put together and the rink is assembled, you can use it over and over again without any electricity. This means that using a synthetic ice rink instead of a natural one will reduce electricity and fossil fuel usage, which is always good for the environment.
Synthetic ice rinks are recyclable.
The material used in synthetic ice rinks may be plastic, but this does not mean it follows plastic’s trend of filling up dumps with waste that will never decompose. Here at Anytime Ice, all of our synthetic ice rinks are made of recyclable materials. That means that once their useful life of providing fun skating experiences is over, we can turn these materials over to be put to good use again.
Synthetic ice rinks are low maintenance.
Natural ice rinks don’t just use resources when they are being installed. They also require sometimes extensive resources when being maintained. For example, a Zamboni uses resources like water to resurface the rink. Ice rinks often need their ice replaced regularly, and require refrigeration systems to keep the ice frozen. All of these maintenance requirements equal resources consumed.
Synthetic ice rinks, on the other hand, require very little maintenance. They need to be swept or vacuumed daily, wet cleaned every week or so, and that is it. These activities use virtually no natural resources, making synthetic ice rinks an ideal way to lower your impact on the environment.
Synthetic ice rinks are non toxic.
Synthetic ice rinks may not use as many natural resources as do natural ice rinks, but do they emit substances that can harm the environment? And do the chemicals used to construct them pose a threat to those who skate on them?
The answer is no. In fact, synthetic ice rinks create significantly fewer emissions than do natural ice rinks. For example, synthetic ice rinks do not create the CO2 emissions created by the refrigeration systems of natural ice rinks. The NHL reports an annual 530,000 metric tons of greenhouse emissions every year. You can combat these high emissions by choosing synthetic ice rinks over natural ones for your own needs.
In addition, the synthetic ice rinks here at Anytime Ice are never toxic. They are safe to use because they do not release harmful chemicals into the air. Safe for people and good for the environment: That is a combination that is hard to beat.
Synthetic ice rinks have a lot of potential for fun, exciting skating at any time of the year. They are also good for the environment. By renting one for your next event, you can reduce your own carbon footprint. Reach out to Anytime Ice for help with any of your synthetic ice rink needs.
