How Is Rubber Mulch Made?
Mulching is an integral part of gardening, since it helps the soil to retain moisture content. Mulch also limits growth of weeds and keeps the soil nutrient rich. Rubber mulch is synthetic mulch which is made from used rubber tires. It is easy to make, is also good for the environment and is also safe for children. Unlike organic mulch. it is not biodegradable and does not have to be replaced again and again. Does this Spark an idea?
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Raw Materials
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Rubber mulch does not require fresh rubber. It can be made from recyclable materials like discarded rubber tires from old cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trucks and any other vehicles. To make this rubber ready for use, steel beltings are removed using pliers and a chisel. Tires without steel belting are preferred to reduce the labor and manufacturing costs.
Manufacturing Process
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The rubber, once obtained from the tires and free of any steel beltings, is shredded to coarse pieces. Industrial or heavy-duty shredders are used for shredding hard rubber. The shreds are then cleaned and painted using special rubber paints. After the first coat of paint has dried, several other coatings are given to the mulch before it is finally packaged and sold.
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Advantages of Rubber Mulch
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Rubber mulch has many advantages over organic mulches. Rubber mulch is not biodegradable which means that once used, there is no need to replace it time and again--resulting in cost savings over time. Recycled rubber mulch is also environmentally friendly. Rubber mulch is also durable and can withstand severe environmental conditions.
Disadvantages of Rubber Mulch
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The rubber mulch, if not prepared correctly, can have sharp edges from the steel belting of tires. This can cause injuries. Rubber mulch is also highly flammable. Another drawback of using rubber mulch is that some gardeners find it is not aesthetically pleasing. While it is environmentally friendly to use rubber mulch, the mulch may not do much for increasing the appeal of the garden.
Considerations
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One of the major concerns with rubber mulch is that it can leach zinc into the soil, even though rubber is water resistant. In some areas, where the soil is devoid of zinc, the leaching of zinc may be beneficial. However, in ordinary circumstances, leaching can kill several varieties of plants.
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