Posts Tagged ‘Mulch’
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Several months ago the Lambertville Parks and Recreation Commission in Central New Jersey decided this year they will focus their attention primarily on safety and maintenance issues at area parks. This is instead of other programs that are usually offered but which have been cut because of budget concerns. When money is tight states are focusing in on the most important aspects of their job. In this case it’s keeping children safe at playgrounds.
Last month volunteers improved the Cavallo Park playground, near the canal towpath. They installed a large amount of rubber mulch at the playground. The rubber mulch was donated by Sunny Day Preschool in Stockton.
”Speaking for myself and not each and every member of the commission, my sincere hope in an ideal world would be that the city could offer a vibrant summer program as well as well-maintained, safe, well-equipped parks and upgraded equipment for everyone’s use and enjoyment,” said the commission chairman Robert Garrenger.
Tags: Mulch, New Jersey, playground, Playground Equipment
Posted in playground mulch, playground safety | No Comments »
Monday, June 14th, 2010
We encourage kids to get outside and get exercise this summer – but to be safe while on the playground. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends these tips for playground safety:
- Always supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
- Purchase playground equipment that meets the latest safety standards.
- To help cushion falls which are common injuries on playgrounds, maintain at least 9 inches of protective surfacing, including shredded/recycled rubber, wood chips, wood mulch (non-CCA treated), sand or pea gravel under and around playground equipment.
- Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, extend protective surfacing in front and back of the swing, twice the height of the suspending bar.
- Repair sharp points or edges on equipment. Replace missing hardware and close “S” hooks that can cause injuries.
We hope that you have a safe and fun summer at the playground!
Tags: Mulch, playground, Playground Equipment, Safety standards, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Posted in playground mulch, playground safety, rubber mulch | No Comments »
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
The weak economy may have one upside: Less trash going into a landfill. Sedgwick County in Kansas says that people are throwing away 11% less trash. That’s compared to 3 years ago, just about the time when the economy tanked.
People are not recycling more, they are buying less to begin with. That means less trash to throw away in packaging. Back then people threw away about 5.4 pounds of trash per person a day and now that is down to 4.76 pounds of trash. That’s still pretty high!
What do people throw away most? Businesses throw away cardboard; residents throw away grass clippings (which are easy to recycle – hopefully your city has a green recycling plan for yard waste).
Anatomy of trash
Here’s what people throw away most
- paper 29.2 percent,
- yard waste 17.1 percent,
- plastic 14.3 percent,
- food waste 9.8 percent,
- construction and demolition materials 8 percent,
- textiles/rubber/leather, 6 percent;
- metal 3.4 percent,
- glass 2.7 percent,
- other, 9.5 percent
What struck me about this list is how much is unnecessary. Not only can we easily compost, recycle and reduce but we can do much more recycling. Rubber mulch and other products made from recycled material keeps trash out of the landfill. Not only that, but when you buy recycled products, it’s investing in our future.
Tags: Environment, Landfill, Mulch, Waste, Waste Management
Posted in Go Green, Recycle | No Comments »
Monday, April 26th, 2010
The Trucksville Early Childhood Education Center in Dallas Texas is raising money for a new playground surface and some new playground equipment. Their idea? Hold a Luau! (after all, this is Texas, right?). Results: just over $200. But they have raised about $6,000 from different fundraisers including pastie sales (is that a typo??), Michael Mootz candies, Joe Corbis Pizza and Pastries and flower bulbs.
The Education Center Board of Directors will match what was raised throughout the school year. But the goal of the project is to create a final product that will “benefit children for years to come.”
“The inspiration behind the fundraising efforts is to give current and new students an updated playground to enjoy…Some pieces like the fire truck and tot house are 20 years old. We want to upgrade to the heavy duty plastic pieces and switch to rubber mulch.”
They plan to replace the playground surface with rubber mulch and add one playground unit this summer. They hope to be able to add one new piece each year.
Want to help out? Call School Director Marjorie Adams at 696-3899.
Tags: Mulch, playground, rubber mulch
Posted in Playground Kid Safety, playground mulch, playground safety, Playgrounds | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
Are you considering using rubber mulch in your landscaping? Some people have asked if it is safe. Here’s part of an article from the Wall Street Journal:
“From at least one environmental standpoint, you’ve got to love rubber mulch — no trees die in its creation. Made from some of the more than 290 million tires discarded each year, the shredded stuff saves landfill space, too. One manufacturer says that 80 scrapped tires are used to create one cubic yard of shredded mulch.”
Rubber mulch comes in bright colors. “Unlike wood chips or bark, it doesn’t wash away in rainstorms, attract termites or carpenter ants, or rot. Its inherent bounciness has proved especially useful in playgrounds; the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission gave it the highest shock absorption ratings of any kind of common playground covering, surpassing wood chips, gravel and sand. The U.S. Special Operations Command in Virginia Beach, Va., said it plans to use rubber mulch as a ground covering under a military obstacle course.”
Different brands of rubber mulch are made differently. Buy mixes that are at least 99.9% steel-free. “Also, check out the warranty for any coatings used on the mulch.
The main benefits are weed control and uniform nonfading color. Please call us and we’ll help answer any questions you have your landscaping project. Rubber mulch is ideal for playgrounds, paths and in most situations, for landscaping.
Tags: landscaping, Mulch
Posted in landscape mulch, rubber mulch | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
As rubber mulch surfaces become increasingly popular, many playgrounds are converting to a safe haven for kids. The benefits are many, including longevity, safety and cost.
How to add:
1. Remove all remnants of the former playground surface materials such as wood mulch, sand or pebbles. These can be reused elsewhere but often lead to instability once a rubber surface is installed. Contrary to what you might think, installing one protective surface over another does not increase the safety of the final resul–in fact, it has a lessening effect.
2. Any obviously dangerous objects (such as trash or rocks) should be removed from the ground where the surface will be applied. The bare soil should be as flat as possible.
3. Take weed-blocking plastic or a similar material and apply throughout the playground surface area. Edges should overlap to prevent infiltration by particularly determined weeds, and to prevent the rubber mulch from settling into the ground below, diminishing the overall thickness of the material.
4. Reinforce with Rubberecycle rubber curbs surrounding the playground area. The rubber playground surface material should be applied at a 6- to 8-inch minimum height, so the border should equal this amount.
5. Apply the rubber surface material in the playground area. Use a rake to smooth it out for even disbursement. Rubber mulch does not require much in the way of maintenance, but regular use will tend to push the mulch towards the edges and away from landing zones (at the end of slides and under swings). Use a rake to smooth the mulch so that protection is available where it is needed most.
6. Wear Mats provide the perfect finishing touch for any playground area that has a loose fill surface. They are specifically designed for potentially high-impact areas such as beneath swings and slides to prevent dispersion. Playsafer Wear Mats also provide an added layer of fall protection.
Rubber mulch is also considered a “green” alternative, both because it is made from recycled tires and because it is a relatively permanent solution. By contrast, wood mulch requires trees to be cut down and must be replaced somewhat frequently. That said, proper application of rubber mulch is essential to maximizing the benefits of the material.
Tags: Mulch, Playgrounds, rubber mulch
Posted in Go Green, playground mulch, playground safety, Playgrounds, rubber mulch | No Comments »
|
|
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=51407495-fe52-40bf-b2a4-ec1e34efb714)
