On June 1, 2011, PlayGuard Playground Safety Surfacing says goodbye to its old logo in favor of a more modern and playful one. The new logo is fresh, fun, and cheerful. PlayGuard has been protecting children for more than 15 years and the logo has grown and changed with each new generation.
The updated logo features child-like and joyful PlayGuard letters dancing while the phrase “Safety Surfacing” is still solid and reliable below. The color palette will have several versions, each with bright, youth inspired colors. The new logo coincides with the recent expansion of the PlayGuard line to include 1” tiles.
PlayGuard Safety Surfacing, manufactured by ECORE International, announces the addition of a 1” thick tile to its existing collection of playground surfacing tiles. PlayGuard’s 1” tile expands the Carnival Ultra and Safari Ultra product lines of 2-1/2” and 4-1/4” thick tiles. Low maintenance, wet and dry slip resistance, and high durability make these 1” tiles ideal for daycare applications, tumbling rooms, and tricycle paths.
The new PlayGuard 1” tile includes the standard eight Carnival Ultra and nine Safari Ultra wear-layer patterns over a recycled post consumer rubber molded tile. Durable, long-lasting, custom design capabilities range from playful designs with simple borders and inserts, to bold statements with logos, symbols, and shapes. Customization can be explored by creating a custom patterned wear layer or by playing with the standard colors in PlayGuard’s line to create a checkerboard or hopscotch design.
The new line extension, like all of PlayGuard’s products, is committed to safety and is IPEMA certified. The 1” tile meets 2 foot fall height requirements per ASTM F1292-04 specifications for impact attenuation for falls and is CPSC compliant. It also has the potential to contribute points to LEED and is FloorScore certified for indoor air quality. PlayGuard is also introducing recycled rubber wear mats in a 36” x 36” squares with a 1-1/2” height to their accessory line. The mats are made from the same recycled SBR that the other ECORE International products are made from and include up to 92% recycled rubber. The mats are loose lay and can easily be installed under swing sets and at the foot of sliding boards. These durable mats will help prevent the spread of wood mulch, pea gravel, or rubber crumb helping to assist in keeping children safe.
ECORE International has been at the forefront of recycling efforts since their inception in 1989. Twenty years ago, ECORE pioneered the recycled rubber flooring category. Today, as North America’s largest user of recycled scrap tire rubber, ECORE processes more than 80 million pounds of scrap tire rubber each year, and helps to conserve more than one million barrels of oil in the process to convert pliable treads into durable product solutions for commercial, industrial, and architectural applications.
ECORE International, global innovator of the recycled rubber flooring industry for over 20 years, is proud to launch, ECORE Green Solutions, its new line of eco-friendly floor care products. Products in the line include E-Cleaner, E-Strip, and E-Finish. The line has been developed as a system that cleans, strips, and finishes without harming floor surfaces or the environment while still doing the job.
“All of ECORE Green Solutions are in concentrated form. This not only saves money but also continues our green friendly initiative as it reduces packaging waste,” explains Thomas Utley, Technical Services Manager, ECORE International.
E-Cleaner, a highly concentrated low foam floor cleaner, is effective for all routine cleaning jobs. It is designed for use with all ECORE recycled rubber surfacing products. Use for damp mopping, scrubbing, spray and wipe cleaning, or with a hand bucket and cloth. E-Cleaner revitalizes any washable surface without damage. Additionally, E-Cleaner is Green Seal certified, meaning it has complied with rigorous requirements designed to reduce its environmental impacts. Fast acting with low odor, E-Strip removes multiple layers of finish, in only 5 minutes, without harsh alkalies and other conventional components. E-Strip is specifically designed to remove E-Finish, but will also remove most conventional metalcrosslinked floor polishes. Safe and effective, E-Strip requires no neutralization prior to finish application. It is readily biodegradable, phosphate-free and VOC compliant.
Creating a new standard in floor finishing, E-Finish combines an unequaled level of environmental preference with performance, surpassing conventional floor finishing technologies. It gives a tough, black-mark resistant shine with no powdering. E-Finish excels with all maintenance systems, including scrub and recoat, spray buff, and burnish. It contains no Polymers or Urethane and meets ASTM D2047-93 requirements for slip resistance.
For additional information on purchasing ECORE Green Solutions, visit www.ecoreintl.com.
Beginning April 1, 2011, ECORE customers now have the opportunity to send back old or remnant recycled rubber and cork products for recycling to ECORE’s Lancaster, Pennsylvania manufacturing facility. The Redeux program partners with building professionals committed to environmental stewardship by providing resources to recycle ECORE’s rubber flooring, underlayments, and rubber and cork industrial products after their useful life which will considerably help keep building materials out of landfills. The reclaimed material will be made into new flooring, underlayments, and industrial products by ECORE.
“The Redeux process is incredibly unique due to the fact that ECORE’s products are already made from recycled materials at their inception and now are able to be “re-recycled” again and again,” states Arthur B. Dodge III, ECORE’s chairman and CEO. “We are proud to be able to reuse our waste, reduce the amount of products going to landfills, and recycle; therefore significantly extending the life of each product we manufacture.”
Due to a proprietary process and complete quality control, no integrity is lost manufacturing new products from recycled materials. Quality is held to high standards due to ECORE’s own recycling capabilities, nothing is outsourced. These capabilities also reduce the use of fossil fuels by eliminating shipping to a separate rubber recycling company.
Customers must first submit an application to have their material accepted into the Redeux program which asks questions about the amount of material to be returned and confirms that the material is free of foreign contaminates like stones, wood, concrete, drywall, etc. Materials accepted into the Redeux program will be shipped to ECORE’s Lancaster facility to be sorted, shredded, cleaned and ground for the next generation of recycled rubber flooring, underlayment and industrial products.
All products manufactured by ECORE are applicable. Materials and samples that have been approved to be recycled include: ECOsurfaces Commercial Flooring, Everlast sports surfacing with Nike Grind, Everlast Contender, TRU, QT Sound Insulation, PlayGuard Safety Surfacing, Training Ground with Nike Grind, Pavesafe, and ECORE Industrial branded products. Materials with ECOguard coating, scrim, products installed with ECORE’s E-Grip III adhesive, and products made with ECORE’s patent-pending itstru Technology will also be accepted.
Materials will be taken back and recycled on a case-by-case basis. Unexpected and unapproved shipments will not be accepted. The full requirements for the Redeux program can be found on ECORE’s website, www.ecoreintl.com.
As an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, ECORE supports sustainable green building policies, standards and practices. The use and reuse of pre and post-consumer waste is foundational to ECORE’s business. With respect for the environment and an understanding that all resources are limited, the company has made responsible development of innovative and sustainable products a top priority.
To join ECORE’s effort to promote awareness, respect of our environment, and support the Redeux recycling program please visit www.ecoreintl.com or email redeux@ecoreintl.com for more information.
According to ECORE EVP of Sales & Marketing, Rich Campbell, “Gaining FloorScore certification for the third consecutive year represents ECORE’s on-going commitment to producing healthy products and using sustainable manufacturing processes. We make it a priority to ensure our products meet the highest building code standards and support the most stringent requirements for personal health and safety.”
ECORE products feature a combination of PVC-free recycled content and low VOC emissions that allows them to potentially contribute points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Brands receiving FloorScore certification include ECOsurfaces Commercial Flooring, Everlast sports surfacing with Nike Grind, PlayGuard Safety Surfacing, and QT Sound Insulation. Each brand has been certified under “Rubber Tile and Roll Goods” and will retain its current certification for one year, necessitating renewal in October of 2011. As representation, ECORE has obtained registration number SCS-FS-01793.
Click here for more information on FloorScore.
About ECORE International:
ECORE International has been at the forefront of recycling efforts since its inception in 1989. Twenty years ago, ECORE pioneered the recycled rubber flooring category. Today, as North America’s largest user of recycled scrap tire rubber, ECORE processes more than 80 million pounds of scrap tire rubber each year, and helps to conserve more than one million barrels of oil in the process to convert pliable treads into durable product solutions for commercial, industrial, and architectural applications.
For more information on ECORE’s portfolio of brands visit: http://www.ecoreintl.com.
