Tomorrow is Green Tuesday! Time for some Rubber Bark™ gift giving!

The title pretty much says all that is needed to say, however, we like to talk on the buzz so here's the scoop. Everyone knows about Black Friday, and Cyber Monday (today!) is becoming quite the tradition as well, but tomorrow is perhaps the most important, in terms of consumerism and eco-consciousness.

It's Green Tuesday, which is meant to inspire the shopping masses to think a little more environmentally about their holiday purchases. Buy local, recycled, reused, or products that have a low-environmental impact that may be recycled.  With climate change, rapid population growth, and countries industrializing at a breakneck pace, plus our own consumption here in the states, the Earth is taking a beating.

So, instead of buying a new plastic train set (packaged in that oh-so-bad Styrofoam!) why not buy some bright blue Rubber Bark™ for a playground set? Or buy some Rubber Bark™ for that green thumb in the family that has their sites set on re-mulching the spring vegetable garden?

Rubber Bark™ is made with 100 percent recycled tires that would otherwise go into California's already crowded landfills. It doesn't deteriorate, such as wood mulch, and is safe for the whole family.

This Green Tuesday, put recycled products such as Rubber Bark™ on your list. You will be doing your family, friends, colleagues, and Secret Santa's a favor, but you especially will be doing a favor for our good ole' planet Earth.

California leads the way for recycling

According to CalRecycle, California is one of the leaders of recycling and green jobs in the nation. Rubber Bark™ is a small piece of that great recycling pie. As all you buzzers may know from the blog, Rubber Bark™ has worked with CalRecycle on many projects, and is always their to offer its services when CalRecycle's TDP (tire-derived product grants) come around. We are happy to read, from the November 15th press release below, that CalRecycle, and California in general, is leading the charge to greener living.

SACRAMENTO--As it joins the country in commemorating America Recycles Day 2011, California continues to be a national leader in recycling and waste reduction. Last year the state diverted 64 percent of its waste from entering landfills, nearly double the most recent United States national average, calculated in 2008 at just under 34 percent.

The recycling industry has emerged as a major component of California’s economy, supporting more than 140,000 green jobs. CalRecycle data suggests that recycling our waste creates twice as many jobs as when we dump it in the landfill. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), which stewards the state’s efforts to recycle materials into new products, applauds the commitment by Californians to protect the environment and preserve natural resources.

“We have boosted our waste diversion rate from just 10 percent back in 1989 to an estimated 64 percent today, and greatly reduced the amount of trash the average person throws away on a daily basis,” CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen said. “Through innovative statewide policies, the commitment of local government, a broad-based recycling economy and the enthusiasm of our residents, California embraces America Recycles Day 365 days a year.”

California kept 60 million tons of potential waste out of landfills in 2010 to achieve the equivalent of a 64 percent diversion rate. By comparison, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculates the most recent national recycling rate at 33.8 percent. Californians are leading the recycling charge across a variety of materials:

• As a nation we recycle 58 percent of our aluminum cans, but in California 94 percent of aluminum cans are recycled.
• Nationally, 28.2 percent of the waste in landfills is paper and cardboard. In California, paper and cardboard make up 17.3 percent of landfill material. CalRecycle is working to increase the recycling of many types of organic matter, including paper, food scraps and green waste.
• Since 2005, California has recycled more than 1 billion pounds of obsolete televisions and computer monitors, more than any other state.

Among the initiatives CalRecycle oversees are targets for cities and counties to divert waste from landfills, and programs to encourage the recycling of beverage containers, electronics, used oil, and waste tires.

New Product!

We are about to start selling a new product, and it will definitely benefit those who use Rubber Bark™ for all their outdoor landscaping needs! Although we have to be slim on the details of the new product (we haven't started to sell it yet) it should be available to order soon and it will help those who are having weed troubles.  Stay tuned!

Your Dog and Rubber Bark™

If you don't already know, Rubber Bark™ is very four-legged friendly. It is easy to hose down if your pet goes to the bathroom on it, and it is safe for dogs to run and play on! Here are some more general facts about the complementary relationship between critters and rubber mulch.