Rubber Mulch

Rubber Mulch

   Walk by many manicured lawns and you'll likely see perfectly aligned flowers, their beautiful blooms offset by equally colorful mounds of dark black, brown or red mulch.  But look closer at these bags of mulch at the store and on it is a warning to always use gloves when handling these mulches.  Look further and the warning will say to avoid contact with skin.  So it was interesting to see the October/November issue of Mother Earth News ask the question, "Is Rubber Mulch Safe?"

   Turns out that rubber mulch leach out many toxic chemicals as it degrades with one USDA researcher, Rufus Chaney, telling Mother Earth News that he strongly "believes that ground rubber should not be used in any compost, potting medium, or agricultural or garden soils because of zinc toxicity."  The article goes on to say the some of the leachates are plasticizers and accelerators "are known to be harmful to human health; effects of exposure range from skin and eye irritation to major organ damage and even death.  Long-term exposure can lead to neurological damage, cancer and mutations."

   There are many beautiful cosmetic items appearing on our shelves these days, whether in gardening centers or makeup stations (cosmetic manufacturers do not have to meet any federal regulations nor list their ingredients...this was a major concern when mad cow disease was present, as many parts of slaughtered cattle, from hooves to lips, are used in eye makeup).  But one simple walk through a natural forest will show what is possible if natural landscapes are left to grow...

   Perhaps before lunging into that perfect yard or bug-free atmosphere, we should ask a few more questions.  Why can't one touch this "natural" mulch with one's hands?  What checmicals, if any, are in this product?  And where can one access more information on studies of this product (as an added note, herbal supplements and vitamins also do not fall under FDA regulations and are self-policing...the herbal supplement industry is one of the highest paid lobbying groups around).

   Caveat emptor when you walk by that perfect garden...