Even the strongest and most durable playground surfacing begins to break down over time. While most park developers place a heavy emphasis on designing and selecting a new playground surface for their facility, less attention is placed on what to do with the remaining poured-in-place surfacing.
Discarded playground surfacing rubber can have a detrimental impact on the environment, particularly if the remnants are sent to a local landfill. Rather than simply getting rid of the previous playground rubber that is no longer usable, community planners can consider sustainable disposal options, such as recycling that playground surfacing rubber.
What Makes Playground Rubber Recyclable
Playground designs often feature recycled rubber in the base material of poured-in-place surfaces. This base material, which is commonly recycled rubber, can once again be reclaimed at its end of life to start the recycling process once again.
Ideal Material Characteristics:
While most playground recycled rubber can be transformed into new and durable recycled rubber products, you will want to verify that your material meets the requirements. These are some of the ideal material characteristics for recycled rubber:
- Rubber surfaces should not have metal reinforcement or fiber backing so that they can easily be processed.
- All materials should be clean and free from wood contamination in order to protect the integrity and purity of the recycled product.
- Rubber surface should be free of any stone aggregate. Detached from any asphalt or concrete.
In order to verify that your playground rubber can be recycled, you can request a material assessment.
Common Packaging and Removal Methods:
Once you have determined that your playground surfacing material is ideal for recycling, you can consider the packaging and removal options that are available. In general, the process begins with bulk demolition and removal. Contractors will work to properly dismantle the playground surfacing, ultimately preserving its integrity and ensuring that it remains viable for recycling. The surfacing material is then removed, packaged, and transported to the rubber recycling facility. For large playgrounds, efficient baling options are available.
By working with an experienced and reliable recycling partner, you can ensure that your playground surfacing solution is removed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The Recycling Process Explained
Once your playground rubber has been removed, packaged, and transported to the facility, the recycling process will begin. These are the steps in the recycling process for playground rubber:
Initial Material Assessment and Quality Evaluation
Before the material can be recycled and transformed into new rubber products, a material assessment must be performed in order to evaluate the quality of the playground recycled rubber material. During the material assessment, inspectors will work to ensure that the rubber meets the criteria for recycling, such as being free from metal, stone and wood components as well as being the appropriate thickness and hardness for processing.
Mechanical Processing: Shredding, Grinding, and Refining
After the material has been offloaded and prepared accordingly, the playground recycled rubber is processed mechanically. During processing, the material is shredded and ground into smaller particles so that it can be used in other recycled rubber products.
Quality Control and Material Blending
All playground recycled rubber is thoroughly inspected after processing in order to verify that it meets quality standards. From there, the material is blended so that it can be made into new products.
Final Product Applications and Market Uses
The processed and recycled playground rubber has a wide range of market uses, and can often be transformed into a new type of rubber surfacing. Common market uses for recycled rubber include playground surfacing solutions, recreational sports surfaces, equine surfacing, industrial applications and even sustainable landscaping options.
Planning Your Playground Rubber Recycling Project
Ready to move forward with recycling your playground rubber? Thoughtfully planning your project will ensure that it goes smoothly from start to finish.
You can begin planning your playground rubber recycling project by:
Assessing Your Current Playground Surface
To begin, you will need to collaborate with your project organizers and evaluate the current condition of your playground surface. Playground rubber may be suitable for recycling if it is free from metal reinforcement, fiber backing, stone, asphalt, concrete or wood contamination. You can schedule a material assessment to determine if your material meets the quality standards.
Finding Qualified Recycling Partners
It is important to work with a recycling partner such as American Recycling Center, which has significant experience with recycled rubber materials. An experienced recycling provider will be able to safely transport and process rubber materials in order to transform them into new market uses.
Coordinating Removal Logistics
Your playground rubber surfacing must be carefully removed and packaged in order to be properly transported to the facility and processed. You may be able to coordinate removal logistics with the recycling partner that you choose for the project.
Documentation and Compliance Considerations
In most cases, you will need to remain in compliance with industry standards and provide documentation to prove that the material was properly recycled. Choosing a recycling partner that offers a strict confidentiality agreement and provides all necessary documentation allows you to move forward with confidence.
Project Timeline and Cost Planning
The project timeline and budget may vary based on the size and scope of your project. By selecting a reliable and experienced recycling partner, you can ensure that you will receive safe, affordable, and timely service throughout every stage of the project.
Choosing the Right Recycling Partner
Carefully selecting the perfect recycling partner will ensure that you enjoy the safe and affordable removal, transportation, and processing of your playground rubber. You need to choose a recycling partner that:
- Offers years of experience and a reliable track record.
- Prioritizes confidentiality and provides appropriate documentation.
- Offers exceptional customer service and ongoing project support.
- Meets all certification and compliance standards.
Take Action: Recycle Your Playground Rubber Today
For more than 30 years, American Recycling Center has been processing millions of pounds of industrial rubber annually. Now, we are proud to expand our services and begin offering playground poured in place rubber recycling services. We rely on proven refining, blending, and recycling processes in order to transform discarded playground rubber into durable and sustainable surfacing materials.
Contact us today for a material assessment and project consultation, and find out more about the benefits of recycling playground rubber.
