Engineered Rubber Mulch
Rubber mulch generally consists of either waste tire buffings or nuggets of rubber from tires that are ground up whole, after having their steel bands removed. Almost any tire can be used to make rubber mulch, including passenger vehicle tires and large truck and trailer tires. Buffings are produced from recycled truck tire tread when the remainder of the worn-down tread is removed from the tire prior to retreading. Buffings are generally thin slivers of rubber. Nuggets range in size from 10 mm to 32 mm, or 3/8 inch to 11⁄4 inch.
Another advantage over plant-material mulches is its elasticity, which gives it a springy quality when used in a fairly thick layer. This makes it a natural choice for playgrounds, where the extra springiness provides additional safety for children when they fall off of playground equipment. Tests have shown rubber mulch is superior in breaking falls [1] to traditional bark mulches. The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association has certified some rubber mulches for ASTM F1292-09.[2] It can be 97% wire free for landscape use and 99.9% wire free for playgrounds. Rubber mulch is also becoming a product of choice used in horse arenas for footing material when mixed with sand. It can be found in nugget or shredded style.
Rubber mulch is seen as an effective and safe alternative to wood mulch, reducing the regional and global carbon footprint by reusing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Its durability can be up to twelve times greater than wood mulch- with wood mulch lasting an average of four seasons- as it doesn’t deteriorate over time.