Rubber Mulch

Finding a long lasting and zero maintenance ground cover mulch is important for commercial and residential playgrounds along with residential landscapes. The following explains how rubber mulch is the ideal ground cover for home owners and facility managers.  

Rubber Mulch is a loose fill material made of 100 percent recycled rubber tires that provides an environmentally friendly ground cover that lasts 10+ years before fading or needing to be refreshed. Rubber mulch is non-toxic and has the highest loose fill fall protection rating available for playgrounds with IPEMA certification. Rubber mulch requires no maintenance and longer-lasting alternative to other organic and wood fiber mulch.  

Black painted rubber mulch under kids playground set

Rubber mulch in front landscape planting beds

The Rubber Mulch Advantage

• Rubber mulch is anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-pest. It will not attract wood-based pests such as termites, carpenter ants, or other nesting rodents such as rats 
• On average wood-fiber needs to be re-mulched every 1-2 years costing additional time, energy, and money.
• Easier to maintain as the greater density enables rubber mulch to stay in place while landscapers use gas powered blowers to clean flower beds. 

Rubber Mulch Out Perform Wood Mulch, Gravel, and Sand for Critical Safety Fall Protection

Rubber mulch has twice the shock absorbency over traditional wood chips and is IPEMA certified for up to 16' fall heights at a 6" compacted mulch depth.  
The chart below shows the ratings tested for fall height protection using rubber mulch using the ASTM F1292-13 testing standards. Rubber mulch or any playground surfacing will not guarantee that falls and accidents don't occur. Broken bones and bloody noses will can still happen at play, but using rubber mulch surfacing reduces the incidences of critical impacts from play equipment falls can that lead to critical head and traumatic injuries.

Automobile manufacturers and professional sports strive to advance technology to reduce driver and player traumatic injuries, so why haven't we held up those same high-standards for our children. Processed and color-treated Rubber mulch is the technological advancement in play equipment that will help keep our children as protected as industry. 

Alternative Playground Fill Options: 

What are the main playground surfaces available and how does rubber mulch perform against them as a fall protection surface?

• Sand only offers a maximum fall height protection of 5 feet with a 9" compacted fill depth
• Pea Gravel similarly offers up to 5' fall height protection at 9" fill depth, however in winter the gravel and freeze and become hard loosing much of its shock absorbency.
• Wood Mulch offers 7' fall protection with a 9" fill, and
• Rubber Mulch provides up to 16' critical fall protection at a 6" fill depth.  

Common Questions:

What if my dog or child swallows rubber mulch, is it safe?

NuPlay & GroundSmart Rubber Mulches are processed and treated to remove nearly any possible abrasives, making it safe for both children and pets to play on. The U.S. Dept of Heath and Human Services Toxicology program has studied rubber mulch and found it to be a safe, non- toxic material, posing no health hazards to pets or people. 

As with any accidentally ingested non-food object it's best to watch your child or pet until it passes, but the mulch should pass just fine on its own. Since digestive blockage risk exists with ingestion of any non-food object its best to consult your veterinarian or doctor if you become more concerned.

Will rubber mulch attract rodents or other pests?

Rubber mulch does not attract pests or vermin the same as natural bark mulch and wood chips do. Creatures such as ants, termites, roaches, along with as mice, rats and snakes do not prefer to make their homes in this material.

GroundSmart & NuPlay Mulch
Product Sheet

IPEMA Certification Playground Material