Envirofill’s Microban® Technology: New & Improved

Microban® has been a trusted partner of Envirofill since 2010 when we developed the first infill with a permanent antimicrobial technology. Motz selected Microban because of their track record as the world’s leading authority on fighting against the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew across a wide range of products including athletic clothing, tile, kitchen sponges, changing tables, high chairs and medical devices. They also have an army of scientists and chemists who understand the topic of antimicrobials in consumer, commercial, building and healthcare products and equipment better than anyone else. Basically, we couldn’t resist an opportunity to build a better product with them.

The team behind Envirofill is constantly innovating and striving for a better way. We can never rest on “good enough.” One of the benefits of making our own infill, rather than repurposing something else, is that we can control exactly what’s in it.

In early 2016, Microban launched a new antimicrobial technology that was quickly adopted by many popular consumer and commercial product companies and athletic wear manufacturers.

After a full year of product development and testing, we are excited to announce that in 2017, Motz will be upgrading its Envirofill antimicrobial technology to ZPTech, a zinc based antimicrobial that is even more effective at fighting bacteria, mold and mildew (and also one of Microban’s flagship products).According to their website, ZPTech harnesses Zinc pyrithione, a wide-spectrum antimicrobial that was “first developed in the 1930s for its antifungal and antimicrobial properties, and it is still commonly used today as a main ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos, and as an over-the-counter treatment for seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, athlete’s’ foot, ringworm and other medical conditions.”  The technology is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has been proven safe to use in a variety of applications, and have been adopted successfully by popular brands such as Rubbermaid and Phenix floors.  As an encapsulated form, it’s incredibly safe and very durable too. According to a study, “polymers soaked for 2000 hours at 70°C in a detergent bath containing 3000 ppm ZPTech remained 99.99% effective in preventing the growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a gram-negative bacteria associated with hospital-acquired infections.” And like the technology that it’s replacing,  ZPTech is infused into the polymer structure and becomes a permanent part of the coating for the infill,  so it won’t wash off, wear away, or leach out of the product. It will also keep the odors off by binding to the turf bristles that might otherwise be exposed to heat causing moisture and humidity.  The inclusion of Microban’s ZPTech is our way of improving infill performance for our customers because we believe that What’s in Your Turf Matters®!