Earth Week Means More Rubber Mulch in Playgrounds
Earth Day was on the 22nd April 2008, and many countries extend the courtesy and have an Earth Week where the goal is to “broaden the environmental movement worldwide and to educate and mobilize people, governments, and corporations to take responsibility for a clean and healthy environment”. What better way of helping the environment then giving grants to schools and daycare centers to better their playground surfaces, promote playground safety and help the environment with rubber mulch.
Governor Steve Beshear from the state of Kentucky has done just that by announcing 43 crumb rubber grants (worth almost $1 million) to schools, daycare centers, churches around the state. He recognizes the fact that recycling rubber tires and using the rubber crumbs in playground is both environmentally friendly, economic and helps prevent accidents.
Playground owners recognize the fact that putting rubber mulch on playgrounds is expensive, but it does not have to replaced as often as other playground surfaces, it can protect against soil degradation and helps prevent nasty playground accidents. So a grant to help them initially install the rubber crumb surfacing is greatly appreciated, as it means that the future annual costs of refurbishment can be greatly reduced too.
These particular grants in Kentucky actually come from the Waste Tire Trust Fund, established in 1998 by the Kentucky General Assembly, who receive a $1 fee from every sale of a tire in the state of Kentucky. This fee is used to recycle the five million tires that are scrapped every year in Kentucky, to develop markets for recycled tire products, and give grants so people can use the rubber mulch (made from recycled tires) for much needed playground surfacing.
When I read about this initiative, I was really impressed and thought that it serves as a great example of how an entire state can help the environment by recycling tires, and putting the resulting recycled rubber to good use.
