▁rub ber ▁mul ches ▁for ▁A ST M ▁F 1 2 9 2 - 0 9 . ▁ ▁Rub ber ▁mul ch ▁is ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁wood ▁mul ch , ▁reducing ▁the ▁regional ▁and ▁global ▁carbon ▁foot print ▁by ▁re using ▁materials ▁that ▁would ▁otherwise ▁end ▁up ▁in ▁land fill s . ▁Its ▁dur ability ▁can ▁be ▁up ▁to ▁twelve ▁times ▁greater ▁than ▁wood ▁mul ch , ▁with ▁wood ▁mul ch ▁last ing ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁four ▁seasons . ▁ ▁Dis adv antages ▁Un like ▁organ ic ▁mul ch , ▁rub ber ▁mul ch ▁does ▁not ▁en rich ▁soil ▁or ▁increase ▁soil ▁b iod iversity ▁through ▁decomposition , ▁at ▁worst , ▁it ▁leads ▁to ▁soil ▁cont am ination ▁( see ▁Environment al ▁Imp act ▁and ▁Saf ety ▁Test ing ) ▁Some ▁rec yc led ▁vari eties ▁may ▁le ach ▁chemical s ▁( some ▁to xic ) ▁which ▁are ▁harm ful ▁to ▁plants ▁Rub ber ▁mul ch , ▁like ▁some ▁organ ic ▁mul ch , ▁is ▁a ▁ha z ard ▁if ▁ign ited . ▁ ▁Environment al ▁impact ▁and ▁safety ▁testing ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁US , ▁the ▁Environment al ▁Prote ction ▁Agency ▁( E PA ) ▁has ▁end ors ed ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁rec yc led ▁rub ber ▁to ▁c ush ion ▁the ▁surfaces ▁of ▁children ’ s ▁play ground s . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁E PA ▁recently ▁studied ▁air ▁and ▁surface ▁samples ▁at ▁four ▁fields ▁and ▁play ground s ▁that ▁use ▁rec yc led ▁t ires . ▁The ▁limited ▁study , ▁conducted