Fake Ice Rinks No Longer Just A Fad

Ice hockey and ice skating are both hallowed Scandinavian traditions - but the southern portions of Denmark and Sweden and even Norway can no longer depend on the sub-zero temperatures needed for outdoor rinks, so plastic ice rinks - both temporary and permanent rinks - are popping up all over. Though the plastic "ice" - made of a thin layer of polyethylene coated with propylene glycol - can be a bit slower for speedy skaters, and more expensive to first install, Scandinavians are turning to them to lower both ice rink upkeep costs and CO2 emissions - distributor Ice Magic claims they are also "100% recyclable." At the science amusement park called Danfoss Universe near Nordborg, Denmark, park managers calculated the energy for a few days upkeep of the 640 square meter rink they were planning amounted to about the same as a Danish family of four's annual home energy consumption and accompanying CO2 emissions. Via ::Copenhagen Post