Rubber Bark's other wonderful products

We spend a lot of time discussing all the benefits of Rubber Bark™ on thee ol' buzz (and there are many!), but because it's April, the month of Earth Day, we want to give a shout out to Rubber Bark's other wonderful products, all of which are just as environmentally friendly as our signature mulch.

Rubber Bark™ is great for animals, but so are Ag Mats, also made of recycled tires, and come in two varieties, flat or pebble top. Horses love these mats, as it protects their hooves against moisture on the ground, and is flexible enough to support their weight.

Then there are the fabulous outdoor tables and benches. They are also made of 100% recycled scrap tires (see a pattern here?) and are made to last at least ten years, as opposed to wood, which can deteriorate due to acclimate weather and use. No staining or preservatives needed, the sturdy outdoor furniture looks great in a community park or small garden.

The last of the recycled tires lot is infill crumb rubber. You may have seen it being used as a part of asphalt for roads, in outdoor tracks for synthetic ground cover, or any of the other numerous ways this durable product can be used. Considered as safe as it gets by the EPA, infill crumb rubber is not only a smart choice, its a eco-conscious one too, as no new resources are being used.

And last, but definitely not least, are Bender Boards. These futuristic landscape liners are made of recycled plastic, and add an aesthetically pleasing look to gardens, yards, edging, and walkways. They are water resistant (which means they won't rot, crack, or splinter!) and can take multiple meetings with lawn mowers and weed whackers. 

Business profile of Rubber Bark™ in the Merced Sun-Star

In today's edition of the Merced Sun-Star the paper features a business article about yours truly. It describes Rubber Bark's roots as its affiliate company, Golden By-Products,  started as a humble scrap tire company, but also goes into the development of the mulch itself, and the development of its business model by CEO and CFO, Jana and Rob. 

We are very lucky and grateful to have such wonderful support within our community! And we hope to see many more of these well-written profiles in the future. 

CEO and CFO of Rubber Bark™, Jana and Rob
source: Merced Sun-Star

Again, here is the link to the article. Check it out!

Scrap Tires, Recycling and the U.S. Mexico-Border

In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency outlined a plan to increase awareness and clean up the environmental hazards on the U.S.-Mexico border. One of the cornerstones of the plan was to reduce the piles of scrap tires that have accumulated on the Mexico side of the border and have created a hazardous environment for residents.

scrap tire cleanup by the U.S.-Mexico border
source: EPA

According to the Rubber Manufacturer's Association, "The US-Mexico Border 2012 Program signed in 2003 has an objective to cleanup three of the largest tire piles in the border region. However, recognizing the need to take further bi-national action to abate as well as, cleanup existing tire piles, the US-Mexico Bi-national Commission held November 2004, signed a letter stating their intent to draft a scrap tire management strategy to address the border region and all of Mexico. The focus of these efforts is 'to develop and cooperate on an environmentally sustainable, comprehensive scrap tire management strategy.'"

The RMA page also has a lot of useful links to additional resources about this important issue.

So, you may be asking, what does this have to do with Rubber Bark™? In 2009, Golden By-Products, an affiliate company, was one of the few companies, along with Bulldog Rubber and Recycling in Vista, CA to receive loans for buying equipment that aids in the breakdown of the scrap tires for recycling and reusing purposes. Rubber Bark™ has taken the scrap material and made the wonderful, colorful mulch seen in backyards, playgrounds and community centers across the state, and beyond! 

We believe, as a family-owned, environmentally-conscious company that being involved in projects, such as the Mexican border cleanup, is an important role we play as stewards of our environments, including those not within our borders. 

Rubber Bark™ on The Rubber Beat

Hey everyone, Rubber Bark™ was recently featured on a cool online newsletter entitled The Rubber Beat. 

The newsletter is part of a nonprofit composed on various companies and interests in the rubber industry.

photo of the Golden By-Products/Rubber Bark™ facility

Rubber Bark's article is about its affiliate company Golden By-Products and a tour the RPA (Rubber Pavements Association) experienced of the Golden By-Products/Rubber Bark facility.

Here is a snippet:

"RPA Staff visited Golden By-Products facilities this month, a RPA Producer member company founded by Jim and Karen Barstow in 1967.  During our visit we saw first hand that almond equipment and infrastructure can be used within the tire recycling business. Our hosts Karen & Amber gave us a very informative tour within their facilities, where they manufacture materials for TDF, Asphalt-Rubber and other rubber products for rubberized athletic turf, loose fill and molded rubber products. We also visited Golden’s affiliate company, Ag Link, Inc. managed by Jana and Rob Nairn, where they produce Rubber Bark and polyurethane bound mats for livestock applications."