Making play safe at Chester Zoo

We were recently approached by one of our favourite registered charities (and one of our favourite days out!) Chester Zoo. Wanting to make their new play area safe, they turned to Safer Surfacing and specifically to our 20mm loose fill chipping.

Madagascar PLAY

They have been very busy developing their latest children’s play area – Madagascar PLAY! They were looking for a suitable safety surface that looked like a part of the landscape, whilst also providing an element of safety and durability. The play area provides fun and adventure for children in the form of climbing frames, cargo nets and much more.

Our loose fill recycled rubber play chippings were the ideal solution. The fact that this is a recycled product also fitted in with the ethos and mission of Chester Zoo.

Safe surfacing for play areas

The brief was to supply a total of 75,000kg of recycled rubber play chippings in our brown and green mix. This was then tipped into place and raked into position all around the climbing frames, spider webs, trim trails, and slides. The chippings were laid at a depth of a minimum of 150mm and provide a critical fall height of 2.7m.

Recycled rubber loose fill play chippings

Our recycled chippings are polyurethane coated so there is no transfer of dust onto clothes and skin.  The colour will last for many years outdoors without fading.

We were super impressed with Madagascar PLAY! and could really see how the area was going to stimulate play, learning, and exploration.

With the average used car tyre weighing around 8kg the new Madagascan play zone has given a new lease of life to approximately 9,400 tyres that up until a couple of weeks previously were driving up and down the local roads.

Here at Safer Surfacing we re-purpose used vehicle tyres into a range of products including our play chippings, landscaping chippings and even the likes of rubber for equestrian arenas, bowling green ditches and chicken runs!