SoCalRubberMulch

Correct, Ruth.

I have personally been a consultant to the California Integrated Waste Management Board regarding Tire Derived Products, and I have compiled a tremendous source of data from reputable sources on which to rely upon. This is contrary to claims based upon feelings and judgments without any data to justify or substantiate them. In most cases, false claims are simply people choosing to state what they heard or think, commonly baseless in reality.

I like to remain informed, so I tend to track and accumulate related data regarding anything to do with recycled products, especially recycled tire rubber. My sources are the most reputable federal, state and private agencies, many of which are not aligned with the industry whatsoever. By staying informed, I may then refute any claims which are untrue with solid facts from reliable sources.

As I stated in my original post, I remain available to conduct a constructive debate against anyone who feels recycled tire rubber is not suitable for landscape mulch or playground safety surfacing. I can point to data which proves beyond a reasonable doubt that it's safer, longer lasting, less expensive, and more beneficial than most of the alternatives commonly utilized.

It's amazing how often incorrect and misleading information leads to continued ignorance. The facts are that recycled rubber mulch is better for plants and trees in most instances.

The fact that Fine Gardening chose to re-run this story without examining facts, is even more disturbing.

1) Using recycled rubber mulch is advantageous to many specie of plants and trees, providing far greater benefits and reducing problems associated with wood mulch. It is hardly polluting, and more about sustaining life on this little blue planet we call Earth.

2) Flammable? Well, it definitely is more prone in form pictured here. These shredded "buffings" (as they are referred to in the industry) are neither environmentally beneficial or good to use for any purpose where wind and rain may be present. The method in which they are produced uses only the outside of larger bias-ply truck and tractor tires, leaving the tire carcasses to go to landfill. They wash and blow away easily, due to their high surface-to-weight ratio, so these "buffings" end up everywhere. This finer shredded is much more susceptible to catching fire than larger "nuggets." The larger "chunks" or "nuggets" are fire resistant, far much more than any wood mulch, and stays put even when using a leaf blower over it. Pill burn tests have proven that most of the "nugget" mulch takes a heck of a lot to make it burn, and even cigarettes and cigars are extinguished when thrown into recycled rubber mulch "nuggets."

3) Toxic? Nope, sorry, you missed the boat on this one. The only time recycled rubber releases anything of any measurable amount worth mentioning in when it is placed under water, or within a water table. If it were so toxic, we all would be dead by now with the millions of pounds of fine tire rubber washed off our streets and highways every day, month and year. The EPA concluded this in an exhaustive study in NY, and subsequently in a more recent study conducted in CA with the CA Integrated Waste Management Board. In fact, wood mulch kills many plants every year, due to the types of fungus, mold and mildew typical to cedar and other wood mulches, which attacks sensitive roots -- killing the plants. I visited one community, on a golf course, who finally realized that the cedar mulch had killed off more than $3 million in plants, trees and flowering shrubs. Not to mention that wood mulch attracts termites, rats, mice, cockroaches, and other lovely creatures who just love wood mulch.

4) Destructive? Nope. Go back to the drawing board and check your facts again. University studies have found that recycled rubber is actually more helpful to sensitive plants than wood, rock, or any other form of mulch. Rubber mulch keeps the ground temperature cooler, won't deteriorate or attract potentially harmful microbes or pests, and won't absorb and retain the solids from liquid fertilizers and pesticides (which then are released in high concentrations the next time the wood mulch becomes wet). Once again, the only substances released from recycled rubber mulch occurs when placed within water tables or other bodies of water. (The federal government found this out when they thought creating an artificial reef out of used tires off the FL coast was a good idea. Now it's cost exponentially more to retrieve these tires!)

5) There is nothing safer than recycled rubber mulch for playground safety. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated this for years in its publication on public playground safety. What isn't safe are wood chips, poured-in-place (which uses tire buffings and EPDM, I have much more on that if you want to know), sand (perhaps the worst choice), or rocks (really?). When 4" to 6" of recycled rubber mulch (depends on the type, and I don't mean the shredded stuff pictured in this article) provides up to 13 feet of superior fall height and head impact safety protection, that speaks volumes. When other materials are only suitable for fall heights of up to 6' to 8' with 12" depths required, and constant maintenance and re-topping every 6 months is required, recycled rubber mulch provides a cheaper, safer and longer lasting choice. The typical crossover for ROI on rubber mulch vs. wood chips is about 2-3 years (and don't forget, that requires 12" depth for only up to 8 feet of protection!)

So, is recycled rubber mulch good for plants and landscaping applications? You bet! Just make sure you get your information from reputable sources, and don't just disseminate whatever you read or hear... it's usually colored by some feelings or judgments, and not factual. This is a prime example.

I welcome and invite anyone with a differing viewpoint to a constructive debate on this topic. I trust you'll become educated, and I have the documentation to prove it.