San Francisco Chronicle article on artificial turf study

CalRecycle's October released study on artificial turf has been getting some press lately, including this article in The San Francisco Chronicle. The article explains that the study's findings on the health risks associated with using artificial turf on athletic and sports fields, which conclude that abrasions are most likely the only health risk.

Detractors of artificial turf like to say that bacteria found in artificial turf, not natural grass, leads to more infections, but the study has found the evidence toward that claim to be inconclusive.

However, the study did find a higher percentage of abrasions with artificial turf. The article states, "That college soccer players suffer far more skin abrasions when they play on artificial turf than with natural grass. [The study] recommends working to prevent those abrasions, in part through protective clothing and equipment."

Here is a link to a PDF of the study. For more information about artificial turf and California's efforts for reusing tires, go to Calrecycle's website. 

Rubber Bark's clean bill of health

It's difficult enough making sure the kiddos are safely playing on playground equipment, but to have to worry about them inhaling or their skin being susceptible to toxic chemicals is a drag. Good thing Rubber Bark™ passed all its safety and health tests with flying colors.

 Detractors like to say that rubber mulch has potentially harmful traces of lead, phthalates (plasicizers that is being phased out in most developed countries) and other metals. Most of what they say is untrue. But Rubber Bark doesn't just say it's safe. It proves it with all the statistics on the lack of chemicals in rubber mulch that one would ever want to read.

This link provides a table with the amounts of chemicals found in Rubber Bark™, which met the standards for the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act this year.

Rubber Bark™ - keeps the environment green while being chemically "clean."

Cost Comparison- Rubber Bark™ v. Other in-store brands

We at Rubber Bark™ want to offer our customers the lowest price on rubber mulch, so we often compare prices with other brands that are in stores, especially big box stores, and see how Rubber Bark™ fares. Again and again, we are surprised at the high prices for such small bags.

-At Home Depot, Vigoro brand rubber mulch bags are $8.97 for .8 cubic ft.
-At Lowe's Rubberific Brown Mulch bags are $10.96 for .8 cubic ft. and RePlay Brown Mulch bags are $8.76 for .8 cubic ft.
-At Ace Hardware Nuscape® Earthtone Rubber Nuggets bags are $10.99 for .8 cubic ft. and Rubberific Rubber mulch bags are $12.49 for 10 sq. ft. at 1" depth of mulch


Generally, these bags weigh around 16 to 20 lbs. So, from anywhere between $8-$12.50 a bag that comes to about 50 to 78 cents per pound, while Rubber Bark™ sells its rubber mulch in a variety of colors at $15 for a 40 lb. bag. That comes to about 38 cents per pound. 


If you need 3,000 lbs. of mulch for a large project, getting some at the stores that are quoted above will cost about $1,875. If you buy Rubber Bark™, it will cost $1,125. Buying directly from Rubber Bark™ can save customers $750! (We also have 2,100 lb. super sacks for large projects!) 


But saving money isn't the only thing worth saving. Rubber Bark™ also ships DIRECTLY to your home, so you don't have to haul 20 lb. bags to and from the car!


Go to the website and there is a handy form to fill out, and the most accurate price can be quoted for the space that needs Rubber Bark™. 


Happy mulching!

What can Rubber Bark™ be used for?

Here at the buzz we have featured many ways in which Rubber Bark™ can be used including landscaping, playgrounds, art, transportation projects and wait, hey, we just thought of a new one... ROCK CLIMBING AND ATHLETIC GYMS!

Rock climbing gym in Minnesota using
rubber mulch as ground cover

Most rock climbing gyms need a flexible and durable ground cover to help the climbers in "the fall zone" and last a long time with heavy foot traffic without eroding. Because most modern rock climbing gyms are equipped with synthetic walls and holders, rubber is a great choice to round out the flexibility of the gym. A lot of rock climbing gyms currently have rubber mats for climbers to sit (which are great alternatives, check out some options here) but if safety is a first priority, rubber mulch is known to be more flexible, especially at higher heights.

Do you have other ways in mind that Rubber Bark™ can be used? Or know of an indoor rock climbing gym or athletic gym that would benefit from some Rubber Bark™?

If so, leave 'em in the comments section.

CalRecycle's "Green Roads" video

CalRecycle put up a video about its "Green Roads" campaign on YouTube. Let's pave (no pun intended) the way for the rest of the country with our tire recycleness!

How they do it up north

We in California are not the only ones getting in on the tire-recycling action. In Ashren, Canada, which is in the province of Manitoba, a former cattle rancher has found new life (and work) recycling some of Manitoba's yearly pile up of 1.4 million tires. Peter Schroedter started Off the Road (OTR) Recycling to reuse off-road industrial tires and turn them into cattle troughs and asphalt filler. Read the article from the Winnipeg Free Press here.

Schroedter details the trials of recycling tires, saying "A hockey puck is about 95 hardness. Most of our rubber is in the high 70s from mining tires, and our softest is 60. Car tires are 58." 

"Green" construction for new BART line includes rubber mulch

From CalRecycle:

SACRAMENTO—The Bay Area Rapid Transit District intends to incorporate “green” construction in a planned route extension by using recycled tires underneath the new rail lines. The decision is applauded by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), which has invested long hours to promote the use of tire-derived aggregate (TDA) in engineering projects.

 TDA is shredded tire rubber used as a replacement for naturally mined materials such as gravel, but has numerous additional advantages. It is safe, reliable, and above all, a cost-effective option that keeps waste tires out of landfills. When used under rail tracks, TDA acts to reduce noise and vibration that can affect nearby buildings and residences. 

“Not only is TDA a truly ‘green’ construction alternative, but it saves money and works extremely well. It makes sense to use TDA whenever possible and we’re pleased it will be used in the Silicon Valley Extension Project,” said CalRecycle Director Margo Reid Brown. “It hasn’t been a quick or easy process to convince municipal planners that TDA is a viable option. We have our early adopters on board, but now we need to continue to expand the market.”

In addition to its noise-dampening attributes, TDA acts as a stable lightweight fill that can be used as a retaining wall backfill and to construct embankments. It also has superior drainage properties when used in landfill drainage systems. Using TDA, millions of dollars can be saved and hundreds of thousands of old tires put to good use, depending on the size of a given project.

CalRecycle experts have worked for more than a decade to promote the use of TDA. Their efforts received a big boost after the Federal Transportation Authority, a major funding source for light rail systems around the country, accepted the use of TDA in the BART Silicon Valley Extension Project that will run from Warm Springs to Milpitas and Berryessa Road in San Jose. A later project will extend the BART route into downtown San Jose. 

Construction of the new BART extension using TDA will begin in 2012.

In 1999, CalRecycle commissioned the first field test of TDA as a vibration dampening material. The results of that test led the firm to recommend that the Valley Transportation Authority use TDA for its Vasona Line light-rail extension in Santa Clara County.

Before proceeding, the Valley Transportation Authority built a test section of the TDA vibration track in its San Jose railyard. CalRecycle supplied the TDA, and monitored construction and testing of this 2001 pilot project. Ultimately, VTA decided to proceed with construction using TDA, and CalRecycle agreed to follow up with post-construction analysis after the route opened in 2005. Use of TDA as part of the Vasona Line extension resulted in a savings of $1 million and kept 100,000 old tires out of the state’s landfills.

The Federal Transportation Authority, which is helping to finance the BART extension, wanted further proof that TDA would continue to perform well. CalRecycle again funded tests of the existing Vasona Line, and the results showed that TDA continued to perform well. The FTA was also convinced the product is cost-effective, high-performing and a common-sense approach to vibration dampening. 

CalRecycle is currently promoting the use of recycled tires through its Green Roads campaign. California generates more than 40 million scrap tires every year. While nearly 75 percent of used tires are recycled, the rest still end up in landfills or illegal stockpiles. If not managed properly, scrap tires are a potential threat to both California's environment and public health and safety. Illegally stockpiled tires also pose a fire risk and are attractive habitats for rodents and insects.