How Can Rubber Mulch Complement a Nature-Inspired Playground?

Creating Realistic Playground Landscapes with Rubber Mulch

You don’t have to choose wood mulch to maintain the authentic, natural feel of a nature-inspired playground. Rubber mulch gives you a realistic look with the added benefits of a safer, longer-lasting play surface.

Instead of compromising your surface to achieve a natural look, rubber mulch comes in a wide range of color options, so you can match the mulch color to your specific needs. It is available in colors inspired by stone, earth, and other natural materials. Wood-tone rubber mulch mimics a transitional playground landscape; rubber mulch is a safer alternative that doesn’t break the fantasy of a nature-inspired playground. Older styles of rubber mulch, or crumb rubber made from recycled tires, have become a heated debate. Safety aside, black tire mulch is an eyesore and, unlike Rainbow Mulch’s unique rubber mulch, can’t be disguised as soil, sand, grass, water, or other material found in nature. Nature-inspired playgrounds can have a surface to mimic rolling hills, rivers and streams running through the area, or a desert landscape, all because of the unique mulch colors offered. The mulch is safer than tire mulch and wood mulch, while maintaining and enhancing the imagination of children.  

How Is Rubber Playground Mulch Made?

Rainbow Mulch’s high-quality rubber mulch is designed and made with the safety of children in mind. Playground injuries happen every day, but many can be prevented by replacing traditional wood mulch with a softer material. Rainbow Mulch makes playground rubber mulch specifically for playground surfacing. Material is the main focus in creating a rubber mulch that protects children on playgrounds. Rainbow Mulch uses a special rubber formula, mixed with plant-based ingredients, to create a non-toxic alternative to wood mulch. Unlike recycled rubber tire mulch, Rainbow Mulch’s products don’t compromise, and there are no debates about their safety. Rainbow Mulch guarantees there are no health risks for children playing in and around the rubber mulch. Tire crumb rubber continues to be investigated by regulatory groups in the US, and debates on the matter have not been settled. By providing non-toxic surfacing material, Rainbow Mulch significantly reduces injuries happening on playgrounds without compromising the experience of children playing.

Enhanced Playground Safety without Compromising Health

Playground safety isn’t just about surfacing materials, but about how the rubber mulch is made. Rainbow Mulch has designed a material that tackles safety from falls, trips, and other physical collisions, while not compromising on the potential health risks that recycled tire crumbs are commonly associated with. Rainbow Mulch produces a non-toxic, closed-cell sponge rubber mulch that is perfect for playgrounds, play pits, indoor recreation venues, and more. Some of the common concerns with tire mulch are the components the tires are made from. Tire surfacing materials have traces of heavy metals, like lead. Concerns include children ingesting the tire rubber mulch, breathing off-gassing from the tires being exposed to high heat, and the erosion of recycled tires in a public area impacting local ecosystems. Rubber mulch made by Rainbow Mulch is non-absorbent and mold-resistant, meaning even if a pet ingests it, it will simply pass through their bodies. The Rainbow Mulch rubber mulch isn’t a natural resource for insects and pests like wood mulch, so it’s rare they are attracted to the park surfacing materials. 

What Are The Best Uses for Rubber Mulch?

While traditional types of playground mulch have limited versatility, Rainbow Mulch’s premium product can be used in a variety of ways. This premium rubber mulch is perfect for any outdoor playground or playscape. Indoor spaces like sensory rooms and museum exhibits create a safer environment with much better impact absorption without compromising on space. Rainbow Mulch’s products don’t attract bugs and pests, making them ideal for residential and backyard playgrounds. Schools, country clubs, daycares, and other public spaces that use Rainbow Mulch to protect children will receive the best results with a premium mulch product. 

The Fall Height Protection of Wood Mulch & Rubber Mulch

Public playgrounds often require at least 6” of tire rubber mulch for protection from falls. Wood mulch doesn’t perform any better. Most playgrounds that use wood mulch surfacing require up to a full foot of mulch to provide standard safety benefits. Wood mulch doesn’t offer as much fall height protection either. Some types of engineered wood fibers offer greater fall-height safety, but still don’t meet the same benchmarks as the rubber mulch manufactured by Rainbow Mulch. With only 3” of rubber mulch needed for superior protection, you get the same or greater protection compared to traditional materials. Even with less surfacing mulch, the Rainbow Mulch material provides greater safety for kids. Whether a client needs playground mulch for a backyard play area or they are constructing a commercial indoor play area, Rainbow Mulch offers a premium, safer rubber mulch.

What Is The Impact Absorption of Sponge Rubber Mulch

Rubber mulch can be used in a variety of spaces, including indoor and outdoor playgrounds, backyard playgrounds, play pits, and more. The premium virgin rubber mulch is tested to meet ASTM International safety requirements. With only 3” in depth, this premium rubber surfacing mulch can protect children from falls up to 20 feet. Rainbow Mulch’s specialized material consistently outranks other rubber surfacing materials commonly used in playgrounds. The rough impact of a fall onto an inadequate depth of wood mulch can leave children scraped, bruised, and sometimes with worse injuries. There are an estimated 200,000 injuries on playgrounds in the US annually, so making the switch to a durable but soft material is one of the easiest ways to keep kids safe. The impact absorption compared to playground pea gravel, wood mulch, sand, and other alternatives is significantly better with the rubber mulch made by Rainbow Mulch. Even with Rainbow Mulch’s rubber mulch meeting certain international safety standards, the high-quality surfacing material is free of lead, plastics, BPA, and other potentially harmful materials. Surfacing products made from recycled tire rubber have raised concerns about potential health effects, leading researchers and regulatory agencies to investigate possible short- and long-term exposure risks. Rainbow Mulch has set a goal to provide a surface that is safe without compromising on impact absorption.

Rainbow Mulch Samples and Pricing

Rainbow Mulch offers rubber mulch in bulk quantities, with options available for projects of all sizes. It’s a premium product that is perfect for schools, homeowners, commercial properties, churches, and other recreational venues. Request samples, and Rainbow Mulch will ship some to you free of charge. Get a quote on rubber mulch, and once you make the purchase, Rainbow Mulch will begin manufacturing your specific order.