Sunland Builders in North Carolina tries to do their part on construction jobs by recycling wood, metal and cement. Now they can do even more with a new grant they’ll upgrade their backhoe so it produces less air pollution.

They got the grant money through the N.C. Clean Construction Leading to Early Adoption Diesel Emission Reductions program. It comes through the EPA. Sunland received $16,125 or about 25% of what it costs to get the new equipment.

The incentives help in this economy that’s been tough on builders. Most use equipment that is 10-20 years old. Construction equipment contributes about 18% of the nitrogen oxides, 16% of the volatile organic compounds, and 5% of the fine particle pollution in North Carolina.

These are elements that create ozone and contribute to bad air quality – esp. in the summer.

See http://www.jdnews.com/articles/span-78144-style-color.html for more information

Rubberecycle recognizes companies who do their part to recycle. We recycle tires into useable products such as rubber mulch surfaces used on playgrounds and for other purposes.

Kudos to Cincinnati Parks & Rec for their efforts to recycle, reduce, and reuse in city parks. The city started by replacing the department’s 40-year-old heating and air conditioning system to a more energy efficient model. This step resulted in energy conservation and cost savings.

Another thing they did is replace wood mulch with longer-lasting rubber mulch at Gower Park’s playground. A new design will utilize more green space and decreasing the amount of mulch needed in the future.

The city received more than $11,000 in a grant program “to implement or continue innovative waste reduction and recycling programs that significantly reduced the grantees’ waste stream.” Recycle Sharonville’s goal “was to reduce waste while increasing awareness of recycling and its positive effects on the environment.”

The project included:

*  26 recycling containers placed next to trash cans in public areas with multilingual signs next to those receptacles to promote recycling to all residents;

* distribution of a flyer and brochure, educating residents about the program;

* established a collection system to empty recycling containers at dropoff centers at the Community Center. The materials donated were re-used for craft classes, saving money for projects at many adult and senior classes;

Great job! I hope more cities take note and follow Sharonville Parks and Recreation example.

Source: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20100401/NEWS/4010316/1001/NEWS/Reuse++recycle+new+practice+at+Sharonville+parks+and+rec

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I’m in Las Vegas on vacation, so this story caught my eye. Nevada residents have sent about 2 million used tires each year to landfills. Now those tires can be recycled. A new state-of-the-art recycling plant opened in Las Vegas this past December.

The facility takes tires from Nevada and parts of Utah, Arizona and California. Phoenix Recycling Technologies said, “we’re producing commodities from the waste. For each ton we produce, it lowers the environmental impact of producing new materials.”

The end product produced is called “crumb rubber,” and is used as turf dressing on natural grass and on artificial playing surfaces. It’s also an ingredient for rubberized asphalt for roads, material for equestrian arenas (it reduces damage to a horse’s bones, joints, ligaments and soft tissue) and for playground surfaces (imagine what it can do to help children by avoiding injuries).

Other benefits for playgrounds include that the material will hold its color, last longer than other compounds and won’t cause splinters, attract insects or animals, or stain clothing.

Crumb rubber also can be used as a landscape mulch.

“All parts of the tire are recycled with 65 percent returned as crumb rubber, 25 percent scrap steel and 10 percent fiber.”

The company worked with Nevada state Sen. Allison Copening, D-Las Vegas, who introduced legislation to encourage tires to be recycled and ban their disposal in most of the state’s landfills. The legislation doesn’t require recycling in rural areas and bans dumping whole tires in municipal landfills.

While the cost may be higher up front, the recycled tire surfaces are a good value because they last. “Although crumb rubber blends often are more expensive than conventional asphalt, Copening said the durability of the finished product could make it worth writing into construction specifications.”

Source: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/02/states-first-tire-recycling-plant-opens/

Related articles

• Go Ahead and Play (rubbermulch.com)
• Pittsburgh Understands the Value of Recycling (rubberecycle.com)
• Earthquake Rebuilding with Recycled Tire Logs (treehugger.com)

Rubber mulch is one of the popular surfaces for the playgrounds. This type of mulch is always under the swings and the jungle gym. These two areas are very accident prone. Playground rubber mulch is tried and tested by parents. It is safe for kids as well as for the environment.

Rubber mulch is certified by several reputed organizations like IPEMA,CPSC AND ASTM, But not all the mulches marketed in the country meet all the quality standards so you have to be very careful while choosing mulch for your garden, back yard and playground.

Rubber mulch is safe in both summers and winters. They are environment friendly and protect the nutrients in the soil. One would think that in wood mulch would be safe in the heat of summer. The mulch can withstand any type of chemical reactions and does not rots or smells.

Nowadays playground mulch can be bough at the internet. But there are many things which should be considered while shopping online. Online shopping is getting very popular but there are many unauthentic and fraudulent websites on the World Wide Web.

It is a good idea to read testimonials and feedbacks before buying any type of mulch. This will always help you in making the best choice.

As caring parents it is your responsibility to look after the safety of your kids. You must be aware of the fact that kids suffer maximum injuries on the playgrounds because of lack of safety measures. Therefore it is very important to provide the kids safe play areas.

If you cover the kids’ play area with rubber mulch, it can provide safe and secure playground or play area for your kids. Rubber mulch is made from used rubber that has been reprocessed. One can use the rubber mulch for the children’s play area or for personal use in backyard or private garden. You can even landscape your garden and backyard using rubber mulch and make your kids’ play area more colorful.

Here are some advantages of rubber mulch:

• If the kids fall down on the rubber mulch while playing they will bounce off it and will not injure themselves severely.
• Its durability makes it long lasting.
• It cannot blow away in the storm.
• It cannot melt or rot, therefore will not smell.
• It does not catch dust
• It does not be a magnet for insects.
• It comes in different colors.

Children’s safety is always a matter of concern for each and every parent. Rubber mulch used to cover the play area will certainly lessen your worries about your kids’ safety on playgrounds. Rubber mulch is very commonly and widely used in the children’s play area for its safety providing character.

Tips for creating a safe playground surface:

Create a fall zone. Cushioned  rubber surfacing should extend at least 6 feet in all sides from playground equipment.

Anchor it. Make sure playground equipment is level and securely anchored into the ground.

Eliminate spaces that could trap children. All openings on equipment should be less than 3 1/2 or inches or greater than 9 inches.

Inspect hardware regularly. Remove sharp points by capping any exposed screws and bolts. Replace open “s” hooks with new safety hardware.

Remove tripping hazards. The area around a playground should be free of trees stumps, rocks, concrete footings and anything else a child could fall over. You also should do regular sweeps for glass, old nails and other sharp objects.

Maintain the space. Check the depth of your cushioned surfacing regularly, as materials will compact, decompose, or wash away over time. Tighten bolts and screws annually.

Reconsider sliding with your toddler. A recent study showed many young children can break their shinbone when riding down a sliding board on an adult’s lap. Stand off to the side and spot them.

Each year, more than 200,000 children younger than 14 are treated for playground-related injuries nationwide.

Tips from Dr. Jim Schmidt, co-founder of the Virginia Beach, Va.-based childproofing company Child Safety House Calls:

Parents should Cushion playgrounds. Use at least 9 inches of a soft material – such as mulch or shredded rubber – to create a shock-absorbing surface for equipment up to 7 feet tall.

You can find more information regarding Playground surfacing at EPA web page

Playgrounds are part and parcel of the kids’ life as they enjoy the outdoor games. The injuries are also the part of the childhood as the kids fall down from the swings or slides. One can avoid such injuries by placing the rubber mulch around the kids’ play area.

The Rubberecycle mulch acts as a shock absorber as the kids bounce off it when they fall down. If you want to make your backyard playground safe for your kids’, then rubber mulch is the good option.  Apart from being available in different colors, it has many benefits. The rubber mulch cannot be blown away in the storms or washed away in heavy rains. It does not melt or rot and does not attract the insects towards it.

However when you are concerned about the playground safety, you should thing Rubberecycle mulch is highly safe for kids and great for our environment.

Therefore, if you are planning to buy mulch for your garden or backyard playground, rubber mulch is a perfect playground safety for kids.

• Clean and odor free; reduces dirt, mud, and insects
• Never rots or decomposes
• 99.9% steel-free
• Cost-effective; Lifetime warrantee!
• Non-toxic; Non-abrasive; Non-staining