High Quality Materials in Early Age Playground Equipment
In this post, Nature of Early Play describes the outstanding quality of the environmentally-friendly materials it uses to make playground equipment for early age children.
We are recovering yesterday’s plastics for today’s play™!
Focusing on this generation – and the next – we engineer our playground products to be low-impact environmentally, safe, and enduring with the use of reclaimed plastic and stainless steel.
1. Recycled Structural Plastic™
Recycled Structural Plastic™ “RSP”
Through the exclusive use of post-consumer and post-industrial plastics we prevent millions of pounds per year of plastics from entering a landfill. RSP is 85% recycled plastic by weight. With a a minimum of 30% of the formula for RSP is now comprised of our internal scrap 30%, post industrial milk jugs and clorox bottles 30% and 30% milk jugs. plastic preventing waste from entering the landfill.
We use over 100,000 pounds of internal scrap to produce beautiful new shades of RSP. We’ve added Sage and Peppercorn to the RSP color palette in addition to our standard Brown and Tan.
RSP is used for all our upright posts in 4″x 4″ and 6″ x 6″ and in the frame work for all decking and platforms.
New & Improved Formula:
Increased structural strength
Increased rigidity
Increased thermal stability
Amazing RSP Benefits:
Low maintenance
Graffiti resistant
Will not rust, splinter, split or de-laminate
Color throughout plastic – no fading or chipping
Resistant to marine borers, termites, fungus, salt and oils
Textured walking surfaces for safety – SureStep™ Decks
Additional Stainless Steel reinforcement as needed
100 Year Warranty on Posts and vertical structural members
100% BPA, Phthalate and “soft” PVC free
Provides a life lesson to kids about good use of resources!
RSP Applications:
Structural members (posts)
Decking & Platforms
Steps
Railings
SureStep™ RSP™ Decks:
This slip-resistant ridged RSP™ deck-board is our proprietary design for increasing friction and reducing falls so children can walk and run confidently on our products. The ridges also make the decks cooler to the feet with less direct sun contact.
So is plastic really environmentally friendly?
YES!
We purchase industrial and consumer waste and prevent it from reaching landfills by recycling over a million pounds of plastic yearly! All Nature of Early Play products are made from recycled materials – primarily from post-consumer recycled HDPE plastic. 80-95% of an entire play structure is made of recycled materials.
2. SureGrip™ Metal Components
Allied Steel Triple Coat Finish then Zinc galvanized Inside & outside
“Wrinkle ” powder coated to increase friction and reduce falls
– Electromagnetically “baked-on” powder coating
– Provides lasting color
– 5 – 6 times longer corrosion freeStainless Steel welds
Total Stainless Steel components available for sites near salt water
Steel has 30 – 95% recycled content
Wrinkle-Coat:
We powder-coat our climbers and sliders with a uniquely strong and textured surface “wrinkle coat” to increase friction and reduce falls. Nature of Early Play is the only playground manufacturer currently using this slip-resistant powder coat. Steel pipe is used in all metal climbers, overhead climbers, ladders, and railings.
Smooth Stainless Steel Welds:
Welds are especially vulnerable to rusting due to paint chipping off and revealing raw steel beneath. But, we replaced our welding wire with Stainless Steel wire, and require our welders to create super-smooth welds, preventing jagged edges susceptible to chipping. This protects children from cuts, while preventing rusting in the process! Stainless Steel welds and plates have a 60% minimum recycled content.
Stainless Steel Hardware & Attachment Plates:
Rust-proof Stainless Steel hardware and attachment plates are standard on all Nature of Early Play equipment – features unmatched in the playground industry. We even offer a complete Stainless Steel upgrade for all metal on the entire structure – the solution for coastal environments where saltspray disintegrates galvanized steel and corrodes aluminum very quickly.
EcoColor Plastic:
High Density Polyethylene with UV protection
Sign board with duo colors is used to created contrasting graphics
Industry standard non- scratch orange peel texture
Sheet plastic scraps are internally reclaimed and comprise 30% of RSP formula
Roto-Molded Plastic:
LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
UV 8 additive to prevent fading
Due to characteristics of Roto-molding only UV Stabilized virgin plastics (LDPE) may be used to manufacture structurally-sound Slides, Tunnels, Roto-molded Climbers, Panels and Roofs (e.g. Mountain Climber, Rotating Panels parts, Casa Grande Roof).
New Infant Flooring Material for 2020 – Gandolf !
We are pleased to present a new flooring material for 2020 called Gandolf in a soft neutral grey. Gandolf coordinates beautifully with our RSP deck frames.
This innovative material will be featured on all of our Infant play sets and on rock wall climbers.
Rubberized texture is gentle to infant feet and knees, while it helps to prevent slips. The sheet also flexes under pressure, providing a friendlier feel. So, if little ones do take a tumble, the fall won’t be quite so traumatic.
In addition to using it for flooring, we will incorporate the new material into our Rock Wall Climbers. The textured surface provides climbers with a better grip. Rock handles stay firmly secure without spinning.
Caregivers will love the non-porous, washable surface as well. Any messes can be easily hosed off.
This article was originally posted at https://natureofearlyplay.com/nature-of-early-play-high-quality-materials/