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Playground Surfaces
Playground surfaces can contain recovered rubber and PVC materials that are often more desirable than wood chips, sand, or asphalt, because they can provide more cushioning and thereby may be safer for children. You can find playground surfaces made with recovered materials at schools, military bases, and housing developments.
- Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges
- Product Specifications
- Product Information
- Additional Links
Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges:
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing playground surfaces as shown in the table below.
| Material: | Postconsumer Content (%): |
|---|---|
| Rubber or Plastic | 90-100 |
¹EPA's recommendation does not preclude procuring agencies from purchasing playground surfaces manufactured from another material. It simply recommends that procuring agencies, when purchasing playground surfaces made from rubber or plastic, purchase these items made from recovered materials.
²The recommended recovered materials content levels are based on the dry weight of the raw materials, exclusive of any additives such as adhesives, binders, or coloring agents.
Product Specifications:
- Federal agency installations must comply with
applicable state or local construction codes.
- The Consumer Products Safety Commission requires that
playground surfaces meet certain performance standards to
reduce head injuries, including ASTM specification F 1292,
pertaining to impact attenuation standards.
- Playground surfacing must also comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which provides that mobility-impaired persons cannot be prohibited from access to public places.
Product Information:
Database of Manufacturers and Suppliers
GSA Advantage!
The General Services Administration's (GSA's)
Park and Outdoor Recreational Equipment, Federal Supply
Schedule Group 78, Part 1, Schedule C, Classes 7830,
lists a variety of park and recreation products that contain
recovered materials. In addition, GSA publishes various
supply catalogues, guides, and schedules for recycled-content
products available through the Federal Supply Service.
Additional Links:
2007
Buy-Recycled Series: Park and Recreation Products (PDF) (6 pp, 100K, About PDF)
This fact sheet highlights the park and recreation
products designated in the CPG, including playground
surfaces, and includes case studies, recommended
recovered-content levels, and a list of resources.
Technical
Background Documents
These background documents include EPA's product
research on recovered-content playground surfaces, as well as
a more detailed overview of the history and regulatory
requirements of the CPG process.
