• The ONLY recycled rubber playground mulch with cryogenic processing and Microban

• Smaller size particles reduce potential choke hazards and increase initial impact dispersion

• Tested 29%-300+% SAFER than ANY other safety surfacing, including other rubber mulches!

• It's the SAFEST material available ANYWHERE for playground safety!

We dare you to ask any other recycled rubber mulch manufacturer, or the provider of any playyground safety surface to provide their original and unaltered ASTM F1292 data report from their qualified independent testing laboratory. We know that nothing comes close to PermaLife SoftStuff for safety, and we're willing to prove it!

Take a look at our Test Data page, where we have provided our complete test reports, at both 4-inch and 6-inch depths, including the applicable calibrations for each piece of test equipment, as well as detailed information about the data obtained over all temperature ranges. Most others will just tell you that their material has been ASTM tested and deemed safe. However, this doesn't even come close to sharing the full story.

If a company doesn't list the complete ASTM F1292 test report and all applicable data, the most important question is, why? Is it possible that their product didn't pass the all three drop tests over all three applicable temperature ranges required? Use our test data report as the benchmark. It includes the raw unfiltered data, including G-max. and HIC for all nine drops at each height. With three heights tested, we provide you with all 54 test numbers for each depth tested. We challenge you to find a safer product for playground surfacing than PermLife SoftStuff. We know our product is the safest and the best, and the test data proves it.

Sure, it takes a few moments to read, but aren't our children worth it? We're choosing to provide more information than most competitors, because we feel that a person can only make an educated decision if they have considered as much information as possible. The bottom line is, your investment of perhaps 10-20 minutes could end up saving a child's life, and we feel that's worth it.

Cryogenic Processing for PermaLife SoftStuff

PermaLife SoftStuff is manufactured into smaller particles to reduce choke hazards for children, now using a far superior Cryogenic Process which removes much more unfavorable material than other rubber mulches. These smaller pieces directly translate to greater fall and head impact safety, through dispersion on initial impact and compression thereafter. Most other rubber mulches don't provide these same benefits, or anything close to the same levels of safety as PermaLife SoftStuff. Because tire rubber, the metal in steel-belted radials and fiber all freeze at different temperatures, tire rubber tends to shatter right where these different materials meet. This allows for more complete identification and removal of undesirable exposed metal and fibers than other companies. More detailed information about our superior fall height and head impact protection for playground safety applications is available in the Playground page, as well as the Test Data page. With our exclusive color coating with Microban, the spread of potentially harmful bacteria is minimized, keeping kids healthier.

Exclusive Microban^® Antimicrobial Protection

Microban^® antimicrobial protection is built-in to products during manufacturing to provide continuous antimicrobial product protection. Microban protection can be found in hundreds of consumer, industrial and medical products around the world.

Microban^® technology is built-in to a product during the manufacturing process and becomes an intrinsic part of the product inside and at the surface. When microbes, such as bacteria, mold and mildew that can cause stains, odors and product deterioration come in contact with the product surface, Microban protection penetrates the cell wall of the microbe and disrupts key cell functions so that the microbe cannot function, grow or reproduce.

All products engineered with Microban protection undergo extensive testing in Microban's microbiology and chemical analysis labs. In addition, Microban technology has been proven effective in over 20,000 tests at over 27 independent laboratories around the world.

Additional information about Microban is available from their website, which is accessible by simply clicking on the Microban logo to the right. You may also read more about Microban in PermaLife products by visiting the PermaLife website Microban link.

Playground Surfacing Products & Safety

There are really two main types of playground safety surfaces, loose-fill and fixed. Loose-fill typically provides better fall height and head impact protection, depending on the material, because some displace better than others when a child falls into it - absorbing a great deal of the initial impact. Fixed systems are usually more costly and can be relatively easy to damage, including poured-in-place and molded playground tiles (which can be removed if not secured), which usually require a concrete base prior to installation.

We have prepared a single page PDF Playground Safety Surface Comparison of the most commonly used materials, which is available for   Download and printing. Below are some of the most commonly used, along with their traits, benefits and problems.

More detailed information about the extensive safety testing for SoftStuff is available on our Test Data page.

Loose-Fill Playground Safety Surfaces

Fixed or Monolithic Playground Safety Surfaces

Poured-in-place and molded safety tiles are the most common fixed surfaces used for playgrounds. Most of the applications require a sub-base of concrete, which only serves to trap moisture inside. Add heat from the sun and a some air, and it's the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Just imagine what oozes out with every little step on those compressible surfaces!

• Molded Playground Tiles - There are many different varieties of molded playground tiles, varying in color, shape, texture, thickness and overall composition. While they are convenient, cannot provide the level of fall height protection and head impact criteria as a loose-fill safety surface. While they are typically modular, interlocking and easy to put into place, they can accumulate fungus and mold on the underside, sometimes allowing this and/or bacteria to "seep" through the material if it remains permeable. If considering this as an option for public playgrounds, you may want to avoid someone walking off with these by using an adhesive to anchor the tiles to the underlying concrete. Additionally, please read the similarities of Playground Tiles in the next item, Poured-In-Place. There is important information related to Playground Tiles, which is worth considering.



• Poured-in-Place - This is a relatively new safety surfacing product which can produce beautiful results if applied correctly. However, it has proven to be costly, not very effective for fall height and head impact, and lasts a relatively short amount of time. In addition, doctors, surgeons and emergency room staff have raised very serious concerns about this type of product, which warrant due consideration. A more detailed explanation follows, because so many have requested this information, and unfortunately some have found out the hard way... through experience.
  
  The mechanics of what happens on this material is unique to Poured-In-Place, Playground Tiles, or pretty much any monolithic compressible surface with minimal lateral movement. Children rarely, if ever, fall straight down. They fall at an angle, and this usually involves some sort of twisting motion. When the child impacts the monolithic surface the compression may absorb impact, then it returns to it's original shape and position (unlike loose-fill surfaces). It's this characteristic which can result in long-bone radial or spiral fractures.
  
  Bone breaks of that nature unfortunately aren't the type of simple fractures which heal in about 4-8 weeks, in a cast. Long-bone radial or spiral fractures typically involve surgery, rods, pins, possible tendon damage and a whole lot longer recovery period, with physical therapy as part of the treatment.
  
  An interesting bit of added information is that many hospitals, emergency rooms, and physicians have been advised by well-intentioned social welfare personnel that long-bone radial or spiral fractures are a major indicator of child abuse -- often requesting such incidents get reported for possible investigation. Needless to say, this is a very good reason for anyone to reconsider the use of Poured-In-Place or Playground Tiles... and this is before we even get to the health issues.
  
  Many Poured-In-Place sites have reported higher incidents of bacterial infestation, including salmonella, staphylococcus, etc. Recent studies have found potentially harmful by-products can be released from EPDM, and trapping the heat, moisture and air helps to propogate microbes, in the forms of mold, mildew, fungus and bacteria.
  
  The 2" to 4"+ base layer of most Poured-In-Place systems is typically made from used tire buffings, which aren't good for the environment. The upper layer or "wear course" is usually about 3/8" to 1/2" thick layer of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber granules, and many installers cut costs and corners by mixing in less costly ground tires (SBR, which tends to discolor the EPDM over time). The quick-drying binding agents used are typically comprised of methyl diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), and to resist yellowing of the upper EPDM, aliphatic binders are sometimes used. However, aliphatics have a high level of VOCs, and cannot be used in many applications (including the entire Los Angeles School District). These systems typically have an initial cost 2-4 times what PermaLife SoftStuff does, it isn't as safe, and lasts around 3 years before costly repair, recoating and restoration is needed. The maintenance and re-coating can make this option cost more than 5-10 times the cost of PermaLife SoftStuff, over the same normal useful life expectancy, and it's not even close to being as safe.

What Do ASTM F1292-04 G-max and F1292-09 HIC Scores Mean?

This is a question we wish more people were asking when they look into playground safety products. As we already said, most companies who make playground safety products may not want you to know this information. Unfortunately, this appears to be the case with most playgrounds across North America, because 75% of all childhood injuries on the playground are caused by falls. Many playground safety surfacing companies may not want you to know that their products barely obtained ASTM F1292 certification with scores just under the maximum acceptable ratings.

For ASTM F1292-04 fall height, the maximum is 200 G-max., and ASTM F-1292-09 provides a max. of 1000 HIC (Head Injury Criterion). The rule here is, the lower the score, the safer the product for minimizing playgrouond injuries. Both tests involve projectiles with an internal accelerometer, which are each dropped three times at a particular height (usually three heights, 1 foot difference between each) into the surface being tested, over three established temperature ranges, for a total of 54 drops per test report.

In the case of the F1292-04 G-max. test, the projectile falls straight down. However, it didn't take much to realize that most children don't fall straight down, and this test didn't accurately account for head impact. Children usually fall at an angle, twisting and turning all the way down. This is why the newer F1292-09 test was introduced (revised in December 2009), utilizing a slightly different projectile which better emulates a child's head, falling at an angle, measuring the HIC score to provide a scientific method of establishing the relative Head Injury Criterion (HIC) upon the safety surface being tested. The blend of these two scores provides a better indication as to how each surface might perform while being utilized for playground safety for children.

The Canadian Association of Playground Practitioners published some of the findings used to establish ASTM F1292-09, including data from Appendix X1, which provides realistic information as to the nature of injuries sustained by children on safety materials which barely fell within acceptable limits of these tests. In essence, just because a product receives a passing grade on ASTM F1292-04, doesn't mean it's really that safe. The fact is, the nature of injuries on surfaces tested at or near the 90th-100th percentile on both G-max and HIC tests were usually very substantial, almost life-threatening, and in many cases, life-altering. For example, a HIC score of 1000 provides the probability of 2% of these injuries being fatal, critical injury at 8%, moderate injury at 90%, and minor injuries at 98%. When you get to a HIC score of 750, these probabilities drop to 0% fatal, critical injuries are reduced by 50%, moderate injuries reduced by over 22%, and a 3% reduction in minor injuries can be expected. When the HIC score gets down to 500, these probabilities drop dramatically again, further reducing critical injury probability by another 50% (a 75% reduction from 1000 HIC) to just 2%, the probability of moderate injuries plummet another 43%, and minor injuries drop another 16%. Note that at 1000 HIC, there is a 2% probability of fatal injury. FATAL! At 500 HIC, there is a 2% probability of critical injury. This makes it easy to see that products receiving a passing grade of just under 1000 HIC really don't provide anything close to the same level of fall and impact safety as those within the 500 to 750 HIC range.

Let's put these HIC numbers into perspective. It's estimated that getting hit in the head by someone like boxer, Mike Tyson, might be something like 700 HIC, and being involved in a head-on vehicle collision around 800 HIC. In light of this, how is it possible that 1000 HIC is deemed acceptable for children on playgrounds?

What product would you choose to protect our most valuable resource... our children? Especially during what should be the most enjoyable time of their young lives, play time! Do yourself a favor, and make the time to contact us with any questions or requirements you may have. You might be surprised at what we share with you, and you can end up avoiding lots of unexpected "bad" surprises later. The choice is easy, there's nothing safer than PermaLife SoftStuff, specifically from EcoGreen, which is manufactured by Assiniboia Rubber Recycling.

Frequently Asked Questions

So Cal Rubber Mulch was created by EcoGreen Environmental, LLC to exclusively distribute PermaLife products within the Southern California area, including the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura. However, we are now supplying product to all of California, Clark County, Nevada, and Arizona. Information about PermaLife and many product benefits are contained in their website PermaLife FAQs page. We now also provide product to all Western U.S. states.