There are no standards that regulate the chemical makeup of playground equipment and infill.
Rubber vs wood mulch playground.
The rubber mulch from adventure world play sets is the safest most stylish and best playground material on the market.
Works well in playgrounds horse arenas landscaping beds etc.
After much research i will say that rubber playground mulch made from recycled tires is moderately safe moderately.
Woodchips prior to having an alternative in rubber mulch for playgrounds wood chips have been the go to play ground materials for decades.
And the people who claim it s unsafe sell wood mulches or other traditional playground ground covers like pea gravel or sand.
Use rubber mulch and you don t have to re spread every few years.
Rubber mulch from the playground in bandon city park in bandon oregon.
Rubber mulch does not decompose like wood chips.
It s still more popular than its rubber counterpart but rubber mulch is making some waves.
More and more common in playgrounds and paths where its interaction with topsoil is less of an issue rubber mulching is a source of controversy in gardening.
However wood can cause painful and irritating splinters and after frequent use these chips compact into a hard unforgiving surface.
Essentially a permanent mulch these recycled tire fragments have the added benefit of not floating.
The choice between using rubber mulch or wood mulch in your garden is not a light decision.
Wood mulch and wood.
The people that claim rubber playground mulch is safe sell rubber playground mulch.
For the longest time wood mulch dominated the mulching market.
Stormy days with heavy rains will not dislodge.
Rubber mulch has superior shock absorption and outperforms wood mulch and even gravel and sand and is thus considered the safest playground surfacing material.
It s true that rubber mulch tends to be more expensive than wood mulch but its longevity and durability makes up for that initial cost.
Unlike wood mulch rubber mulch does not encounter the same issues with certain insects.
Different mulches benefit your soil in different ways and present unique challenges including possible toxicity infestation and the overall cost in terms of both labor and out of pocket expense.