Rubber Mulch—Protecting Our Future (NAPSA)—Each year, more than 200,000 children visit the emergency room dueto an accident on the playground. Nearly 70 percent of these injuries are the result of a fall on the surface, which is typically covered with gravel, sand, wood or even asphalt. The spring and summer are meant for care-free playing and enjoying the great outdoors, not sitting at home with an arm in a sling or a cast on a leg. Studies show that many surfaces lack the necessary safety elements to adequately protect our little ones whenthey are at play. While there are many options one can choose to put beneath the swing set or jungle gym, simply put, the safest ground cover available is recycled rubber mulch. Whetheryou are looking for rubber mulch that looks identical to wood mulch, such as Rubberific Mulch, or a loose-fill ground cover like NuPlay or NuScape, the results will be the same—you will have the safest playgroundon theblock. In tests conducted by The American Society for Testing and Materials, the governmental standard for performance, rubber mulch had fall height rating that was double that of wood mulch and sand. In addition, rubber mulch will not compact, which greatly impacts the safety of a surface—if the surface will not cushion a fall, it could create an unnecessary injury. “Since we started our company, we have confidently said that if Experts say if you use rubber mulch under your backyard playground, your children will be safer. you use rubber mulch under your backyard playground or at the neighborhood park, your children will be safer,” says Cindy Miller, vice president of International Mulch Company. In addition to the unparalleled safety of recycled rubber, it will not rot, fade, attract insects or wash away, even in the heaviest of showers. It requires little to no annual maintenance and is great for the environment. As a country, we produce 300 million scrap tires a year and, until recently, most simply went into our ever-growing landfills. By giving these treaded treasures a second life, not only are we lessening our future impact on the environment, we are keeping our future safe as our children play away their youthful days. For more information, visit www.internationalmulch.com or call (866) 936-8524.
