If it’s good enough for President Obama, then one Philly town figures it’s good enough for them. That’s what the town said when they replaced their playground dirt with recycled tires. The rubber playground mulch will now provide a safe cushion for the kid’s who play there.

The borough used a community development grant to pay for the rubber mulch. The cost for two playgrounds was $56,434 and is the same surface used at the White House for their playground.

Rubberecycle gave 8 tons of green, recycled tires called Playsafer Rubber Mulch to the White House about a year ago.

The tires used to make the surface are chopped up in a million bits and come in different colors. This particular playground was a blue color.

“We use only tires taken freshly off rims from tire centers. We do not use any that are found along the side of the road or in a landfill. We shred them and recycle the steel and make the mulch,” according to Keith Sacks of Rubberecycle.

The benefits include

• needs no maintenance
• is safer for children who may fall
• non-toxic
• odor-free
• non-staining
• non-abrasive

Borough Mayor Bob Lebo said he’s pleased the council decided to buy the rubber mulch. “I think it’s great. It is much safer for our children and the other benefits certainly will pay off,” he said.

Related articles

• Playground Gets Upgrade – from Sand to Rubber Mulch (rubberecycle.com)
• Spokane Universal Playground Features Rubber Mulch (rubberecycle.com)
• Ohio Playground Gets Grant to Improve Playground Safety (rubberecycle.com)

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.

I just saw a news report about how many children get hurt on playgrounds each year.  Rubber mulch is one way we contribute to help make playgrounds safer for kids.

Schools hire playground inspectors to look over the equipment for potential problems.

Here are some other interesting facts about playground injuries:

• 2,300 kids are injured every year on school playgrounds
• 5th-graders sustain more injuries than any other group
• Falls are the #1 cause of injury

What to check :

The inspector checks the nuts, screws, bolts and other hardware to make sure it hasn’t come loose. He checks the slides, and pushes on the joints to see if they are solid. Even a hole in the equipment can be a hazard.

Another important spot to check is under the swings. Lots of children fall off swings, so what kind of a surface will they hit? In this picture it looks like the child would fall on hard concrete. There must be something to cushion the fall. Rubber mulch can do a lot to prevent injuries. At Rubberecycle we’ve tested dropping eggs from the top of the playground’s highest point. The egg didn’t break when it hit the rubber surface.

Playground safety should be a top priority at school and at home. Even playground equipment in your backyard should be tested. Parents can look over the set to make sure it’s held together well. Besides these suggestions, parents should watch their kids.

Check out our 7 PlayGround Safety Tips.

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.