Rubber mulch might seem like it's a cheap and easy option for your yard, but when it comes to its removal, a post in a forum for lawn-care professionals and hobbyists shows how expensive, time-consuming, and difficult it can be.
The post on Lawnsite is by a landscaper who said a customer wanted them to remove plastic edging and rubber mulch that covers 600 square feet and is about one foot deep. The landscaper mentioned that they've done this work for 12 years, but had yet to take on this type of job, so they wanted to know what a professional would usually charge. They planned to rent a machine for dumping the mulch.
One user in the forum pointed out that if the job is a foot deep at 600 square feet, then that means it could weigh around 11,000 pounds. The disposal fee to remove rubber mulch can go up to the thousands. Someone else said the amount of mulch that the customer wants to remove already costs a fortune to buy to begin with, and that does not include the labor to install it.
The high cost to install and dispose of rubber mulch is just a part of the issue. Rubber mulch is made up of heavy metals that are toxic to both humans and the environment, as well as other harmful chemicals. When rubber mulch gets heated by the sun, it can pose health risks to nearby individuals.
For example, rubber mulch can be a danger to your home because it can catch fire when it gets too hot. According to the Fire Safety Council of San Diego County, a study found that rubber mulch was among the mulch types with the most hazardous combustion flame when testing flame height, speed of fire spread, and temperature.
One option to reduce the headache is to make the switch to organic mulch, which is made from decaying leaves and dried grass. Another option is to embrace the benefits of a natural lawn or rewild your yard altogether. Using natural methods to maintain your lawn cuts major costs and benefits the local ecosystem. It can increase your overall household health, too.
"Well if it is really a foot deep, you are looking at 600 cubic feet. Or around 11,000 lbs. That's a lot of mulch," a user in the forum wrote.
"You're better off renting a skid steer and tacking the rental fee in. I can't believe it's a foot deep though. That's over 5 grand of that junk," another chimed in.
"Rubber mulch is a real headache to get rid of. I had to take it to a tire recycling place to get rid of it. About 6 yards. The disposal fee was in the thousands," another lawn-care professional wrote. "The customer was not happy as between the initial install price (not me) and the removal price, they could have went with natural mulch 10 times over. The rubber mulch was leaving the kids' clothes and shoes permanently stained black."
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