Is your child playing on a bed of used car tires? Playgrounds in New Jersey use recycled tire material to create a safe play space for kids. So how can you get in on this reusing cycle? Keep reading to find out all about recycling tires for playgrounds.
New Jersey Playgrounds are Softer With Used Tires
Like much of the nation, New Jersey’s playgrounds are often bedded with shredded, used tires. Just like these tires allow your car to drive smoothly over uneven roads, they allow kids to run, play, and fall down without as much damage—or skinned knees! This is so important for environmental conservation that the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has participated in many initiatives to get used tires onto playgrounds.
Does Tire Mulch on Playgrounds Cause Cancer?
But wait… should kids be playing on old tires? Unlike a stack of waste tires sitting out in your back yard, the tires that are recycled into tire mulch, or “tire crumb” as some places call them, are carefully evaluated and inspected before being washed and ground down into mulch-like material. This helps to remove road grime, nails or screws in the tire, and never results in a pool of standing water for mosquitos to live in. In fact, numerous studies have found no unsafe levels of carcinogens in properly recycled car tires.
Where Can I Recycle Tires for Playgrounds?
With your questions answered, there’s just one more thing—where can you take used tires in New Jersey for recycling? How can you make sure that your waste tires end up living a second life on a playground? Each tire disposal facility in NJ has its own rules, regulations, and supply chains, so make sure to call your local tire waste management in Hopatcong to find out which kinds of tires are accepted and what they will be recycled into.
Even if your local tire disposal facility does not participate in playground mulch recycling programs, they should have contact info for a company that does. Start local and call your waste tire recycling and disposal facility today!
