Turning Waste Rubber into Fun and Accessible Playground Surfaces
The “Sustainable Fun for Everyone!” initiative is a New Zealand-based rubber recycling program that aims to have a positive environmental and societal impact by reducing the amount of rubber imported into New Zealand, reducing the amount of waste rubber going into landfills, and creating safe, fun, and accessible playgrounds for Kiwi kids.
Converting Waste Rubber into Fun!
The process of creating playground surfaces from waste rubber begins with rubber being collected from program partners and taken for processing at the Numat rubber recycling facility. There, it is put through a granulating process that converts it from being a waste product into usable rubber granules. This waste rubber would otherwise end up in landfills. But, in this recycling program, it is transformed into durable, safe, and accessible playground surfaces.
Partnering to Create Sustainable Playgrounds
The “Sustainable Fun for Everyone!” initiative would not be possible without the collaboration of its partners. This collaboration is what makes the program different from previous rubber recycling initiatives in New Zealand, as it uniquely connects producers of rubber waste with a notable and tangible demand for the resulting recycled product.
The soft rubber produced through the recycling process makes the perfect base-layer in wet poured rubber surfaces, providing excellent impact absorption. The surfaces created using the recycled material are highly durable and can last up to 20 years. At end of life, they can be recycled again using the same process.
Making a Positive Impact on the Environment
With capacity to process 15 tonnes of waste rubber per week, the recycling program has the potential to reduce imported rubber and waste rubber going into landfills by up to 780 tonnes per year. That’s the equivalent of 866 skip bins full of rubber waste per year. This initiative is a significant step towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for New Zealand’s playgrounds.
Accessible Surfaces Mean More Fun for Everyone
We are not only committed to creating sustainable playground surfaces but also ensuring that they are accessible to children
with disabilities. Our use of NumatREC Pour’n’Play surfacing ensures our playground surfaces are smooth and easy to access for children with mobility challenges. These surfaces are specially designed to provide excellent slip resistance, cushioning, and durability, which is particularly important for children with disabilities who require clean, safe surfaces to play on. This approach is helping us to make playgrounds more inclusive and enjoyable for all children.
Featured Project:
CPlay Destination Playground, Timaru
The CPlay destination playground in Timaru is the first major project to use this recycled material. The surface installation is scheduled to start in late 2023, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on the local community.
Join the fun!
Join us in our commitment to creating a sustainable future.
Let’s reduce waste and give back to the environment, one
playground at a time.
