Did you know that rubber can be recycled? Recycled rubber is a major industry that produces materials for all kinds of different applications. Rubber is a natural material, but it is a very long-lasting one which means that if put in landfills it can take up space for a long time. But at the same time that very property means it can be used for a wide variety of different important purposes. Considering how many things in our society are made out of rubber, just throwing it all in the landfill would mean it quickly adds up to a great deal of wasted resources. Rubber can be reclaimed from post-consumer products and put back into use just as strong as it was before, and more and more recycled rubber is being harnessed for that exactly reason. But what kinds of products are recycled rubber used in?
There are many different products made using recycled rubber. It can actually be used for almost any purpose. Rubber garbage cans and containers will often include recycled content, and so will all sorts of other household products. Rubber that is being recycled is often mixed together with new fresh rubber since they both have slightly different qualities, to make a mixed-content material that is put into so many different products that you probably use it every day.
However, one use of recycled rubber that frequently surprises people is its role in making materials for flooring. Not everyone knows that rubber flooring is available, but it’s been put to good use for decades now and it’s starting to take the commercial construction market by storm. Rubber flooring is actually becoming a favorite material for many different kinds of spaces.
One of the reasons recycled rubber flooring is so popular is because it’s incredibly durable. Rubber flooring comes in sheets or tiles and once it’s installed it is an incredible surface to walk on. Soft and comfortable, it nonetheless lasts longer than just about any other floor surface imaginable. Water pools up instead of setting in, mildew has a hard time growing, and scratching or gouging it is extremely difficult to do. Even though it is such an attractive material, it doesn’t need much in the way of upkeep. No one ever has to wax, polish or buff their rubber floor. It just keeps its sheen under almost any conditions. This means less hassle and less maintenance cost than other types of floors. In recent years rubber flooring has been made into many different styles and patterns and it fits attractively in any space.
Rubber flooring is just one of many uses for recycled rubber but it’s one that’s quickly catching on and becoming an industry standard.
