We all know how important it is to recycle, but sometimes we don’t realize that we can recycle certain items. Other times, we don’t see how we can recycle items–for example, how can you recycle rubber tires into something useful? One of the best ways to recycle old tires is by turning them into wire-free rubber mulch.
Wire-free rubber mulch can be used for a myriad of things, so we’ve put together our top 3 uses right here.
Playgrounds
Playgrounds typically use gravel, sand, or wood chips/mulch, but all of these materials can cause problems. For instance, sand gets everywhere and can turn into muddy goop when it rains. Gravel is uncomfortable to walk on and can be painful when children fall.
Wood mulch tends to get used most often, but it isn’t perfect either. It’s not comfortable and children can get splinters if they try to crawl around. Wood mulch can attract insects and animals, which is not optimal for a playground; wood mulch is also easily displaced when children land on it, which happens often when they slide down slides and jump off swings.
Rubber mulch, though, is perfect for playgrounds. It is much softer than other materials, but it is still very durable. Rubber mulch is also safer when children fall, as it absorbs shocks more easily. You won’t have to worry about splinters and rubber mulch isn’t displaced as easily–you can even get rubber mulch mats for high traffic areas, like under swing sets and slides. Whether you’re building a playground in a park or in your backyard, rubber mulch is definitely the way to go.
Landscaping
You probably don’t think of rubber mulch when it comes to landscaping, but you should. Landscaping materials can be a difficult decision, because so often materials have to be replaced, they rot, they get displaced due to weather, or they attract too many bugs. Rubber mulch is the perfect solution, simply because you don’t have to worry about any of those things.
Rather than using rocks or wood mulch around trees and shrubs, try using rubber mulch instead. It will keep the weeds out and help keep waste out of landfills. Rubber mulch is also good for your wallet, since it is more durable and covers more ground than its counterparts, so you can cover more with less.
Athletics
Being active is healthy and it can be a lot of fun. However, anytime that you’re more active, you also run the risk of getting injured. Even just playing a quick game of basketball after dinner with your kids can lead to scraped knees and bruises. Concrete is hard and unforgiving, which means it isn’t the best choice for performing athletics.
Rubber mulch can be used on both artificial and natural turf to create safe athletic environments. It works for golf courses, running tracks, soccer fields, and anywhere else that you plan to do a lot of running around.
The best part about rubber mulch is that you don’t have to try to make it work, or use it as the less-desirable replacement for something that works better, but is less eco-friendly. Rubber mulch really is one of the best choices that you can make, for yourself and for the environment.