It is abundantly clear from the scientific literature that rubber should not be used as a landscape amendment or mulch. There is no question that toxic substances leach from rubber as it degrades, contaminating the soil, landscape plants, and associated aquatic systems.
Unlike natural mulches, rubber mulch doesn't decompose, so it's "sustainable." It doesn't add any nasty organic matter to the soil the way bark and pine straw do. Rubber mulch keeps the soil surface cool by trapping all of the sun's heat atop it where your feet are.
Dangers of rubber tire mulch
Some of the toxins in rubber tire crumb include VOC's, PAH's, MBT's, and latex. The EPA has found these chemicals cause cancer, headaches, nausea, contact dermatitis, and allergies. Not to mention damage to the lungs, kidneys, liver, central nervous system, and reproductive system.
Rubber mulch used near water sources, such as lakes or backyard ponds, can leach materials that may kill aquatic life such as algae, zooplankton, snails and fish. The toxic nature of rubber mulch is due to its mineral content.
Some people like to use rubber mulch because it doesn't need to be replaced as often as wood chips. Most manufacturers boast that their tire mulch lasts at least 10 years. Clearly, rubber mulch lasts much longer than organic mulches, but there's a tradeoff: Rubber mulch doesn't add organic matter to the soil.
Natural rubber contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and more. But climate change and disease also threaten natural rubber.
Rubber mulch does a better job of insulating plants from heat compared to wood chips and other organic materials. In “indoor” gardens like sun-rooms and solariums, it is especially beneficial because it does not break down and emit a rotting smell. It won't attract insects.
Rubber mulch provides excellent drainage for the soil and supplies great insulation against harsh weather. It also allows a higher degree of heat to be maintained in the soil as well as maintaining its moisture levels. Wood mulch, however, can starve plants.
Properly installed, rubber mulch requires little maintenance compared to wood mulch and can last for 10 or more years; wood mulch is generally replaced each year. It allows water and fertilizer applications to pass through to the soil.
If you're looking for other organic materials and alternatives to rubber mulch you could also consider wood chips, pea gravel, or sand. The important thing is to choose a high quality material that you feel is best for your children's health and family.
While rubber mulch rings are easy to install and last for years, the bottom line is they're not the best for trees. Rubber mulch rings are less effective than natural mulch and can possibly hurt your tree. As the rubber breaks down over time, the rubber adds toxic contaminants into the soil.
You can safely use rubber mulch near your home's foundation or around outbuildings without worrying you'll end up with termites. In fact, rubber mulch helps protect your buildings from wood-eating pests, so you can use less pesticide.
There are several reasons: In hot, sunny weather, rubber mulch gets hot. Rubber mulch absorbs the heat of the sun. On a hot summer day, the mulch also gets hot — sometimes, uncomfortably so for children.
For growing spaces, your best mulch option is wood chips. For pathways and barren, decorative areas, stone chips are a good choice. Heavier mulches are less prone to washing or blowing away in inclement weather.
This may be a matter of opinion, but most people find that rubber mulch starts to stink as it gets hotter. On a hot day it has a strong stench. As tires are ground up into chips the amount of surface area is greatly increased and all the new surfaces are freshly exposed allowing for maximum odors to be released.
We recommend aged hardwood mulch, applied in a light layer, around your flower beds. Well-aged wood mulch is an ideal choice for flower beds, as it adds nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Softwood mulch, usually made from pine, can add a bit too much acidity, and doesn't decompose quickly.
When using mulch in your landscape, there is no need for the use of artificial weed barrier such as plastic or landscape fabric. These materials do not work and are not weed barriers. They are only necessary under stone.
Since red accents are particularly popular, that's one of the reasons that red rubber mulch is such a common choice. However, blue and green are also popular choices to go along with the clean white vinyl base of the sets, so green rubber mulch and blue rubber mulch also see frequent use, too.
There are two ways by which you can clean your rubber mulch, one is to use a leaf blower to clean out leaves or debris from your mulch. But if you are looking for a more thorough clean, we suggest washing your mulch. Sprinkle environment-friendly soap on the mulch covered area and spray with a hose.
Gravel mulch includes pea gravel, crushed stone and pebbles. Although both types of mulch can be used in the garden, rubber mulch is the preferred mulch for layering under outdoor play equipment and on athletic fields due to its softness and resiliency.
These rubber nuggets deteriorate if exposed to sunlight, so they should be overlaid with an organic mulch to prolong their life expectancy. Placing landscape fabric underneath the rubber mulch will keep it from sinking into the soil and having to be dug out later, since rubber mulch will not fully decompose.
Natural rubber is eco-friendly. Harvesting and using natural rubber has less impact on the environment, and the rubber tree is a crop that can be cultivated sustainably to protect forests and maintain the global carbon balance in the atmosphere.
One of the biggest limitations of natural rubber is its poor resistance to hydrocarbons, fats, oils, and greases. Contact with these substances can cause swelling, softening, or complete dissolution of the rubber part resulting in partial or complete failure.
Natural rubber is made from plants, so it is biodegradable. But since synthetic rubber uses man-made polymers derived from petroleum, these ingredients will persist in the natural environment and be a source of pollution after the item breaks down.