I've used recycled rubber mulch in play areas. You can imagine its benefit there. And don't forget: rubber IS a natural product.

But, in my opinion, if you're going to use it in a pathway, I'd recommend a good packed layer of decomposed granite rather than a rubber mulch.

Joe

I considered recycled rubber mulch for a play area until I read that when it heats up in summer, it smells like tires! Ew! Plus, I believe there are some toxicity issues (soil and disposal related) with recycled rubber as well.

Decomposed granite, crushed rock or pea gravel would be my first choice.

I have also seen individual paving stones (both round and square) that are made with recycled rubber. They look like the regular concrete paving stones except they are reddish in color.

Rubber mulch gets very hot if it is in full sun and smells quite unpleasant--like an auto repair shop. Decomposed granite is a good choice--it does need to be replenished, but not nearly as often as an organic mulch.

My 80+ year old mother had great difficulty walking on pea gravel (she had no trouble on DG, mulch, or concrete). May not be the best choice for seniors due to its tendency to shift around.

Anyone thinking about using Rubber Mulch, should visit this website;
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Rubber%20mulch.pdf
It's quite scary stuff!

Laying rubber mulch is one way to make sure you are remembered long after you are gone, especially if a gardener buys your house.

My grandfather used gravel to assure his legacy. My husband remembers him every week as he dodges flying rock when he mows the lawn. I think of him each time I dig a hole for a plant. Grandpa's been in our thoughts quite a bit over these last 22 years.

Renee

It is not permanent, but it will probably be TOO permanent for most gardeners. Given enough time it is difficult to find anything REALLY permanent. As an example the oil spilled in the gulf or the waters of Alaska, will actually be cleaned up, not by man, but by a bacteria, already present. Al

Everything breaks down in time. If sterile non-productive soil is the goal [playground, racetracks, etc]used-tire mulch is probably OK. I live on a very busy city street and the black 'dust' that covers my flag, house screens and plants is from the minute particles of tires that are ground off through wear. I don't consider this material harmless. BTW, I notice the same [newly registered]person who has revived this '06 thread,also revived another '06 thread in the compost forum, complete with a reference to the same commercial source for the product.

Borderbarb, I just recently found these forums and have been posting about what I know, which at the moment is Rubber Mulch (having done a bunch of research before a purchase a few years back and again over the past week or two before another one).

I didn't even notice how old this thread was. I have just been very happy with the product I bought, and wanted to share my positive experience in posts about 'Rubber Mulch', where there seem to be a lof of uninformed negative posts. The threads in which I posted happened to be the ones that came up when I searched that topic on these forums. I cited the site where I bought mine because I like their product and because they have a lot of safety information linked from external, reputable sources, like the EPA and IPEMA.

Also, the black dirt that accumulates on urban areas and near busy streets (we live a block away from a highway, so I feel your pain about black soot everywhere) is not from tire particles (though I am sure some small amount of it is). It is from the exhaust from automobiles.

I agree that a certain percent of the 'road soot' is from car exhaust. But the fact that we must replace our tires from time to time, means that they are being worn through contact with roadway surfaces. Please google on the key words "tire wear particles" for many interesting hits.

A few snips from the link below:
....snip...."Tire debris (TD), generated from tire wear on roads, include particles with a size larger than 7 ìm and range up to >100 ìm, but also a population of smaller particles (////
Among the pollution risks associated with TD is not only airborne, but washed into water sources, which I think might also apply to tire-mulch.

Here is a link that might be useful: Impact of tire debris

That is interesting. I never really thought about tire debris as an additional pollutant from automobile use. I wonder how much of that wear is caused by friction with the road, though, and how much of it would naturally bleed out or decompose from rubber mulch. I'd imagine the head and pressure from that contact friction is significantly more powerful than anything that could happen to rubber pieces sitting on the ground or under a swingset.

Very interesting point, though.

I highly recommend rubber mulch. It get old tires out of landfills and avoids cutting down trees to make wood mulch. It has no maintenance and last forever. Its also pretty effective at weed control. If you can afford it over wood mulch, there is no reason not to go with rubber.