A public debate has emerged in Spain over the use of recycled tire rubber in playgrounds, schoolyards and sports areas after environmental group Ecologistas en Acción called for the material to be removed as a precautionary measure, prompting a technical response from SIGNUS, the Spanish Federation of Recovery and Recycling and the Rubber Consortium. Ecologistas en Acción argues that rubber surfaces may expose children and other users to mixtures of chemicals including metals, additives and volatile compounds and is urging municipalities and education authorities to replace them progressively with alternatives such as sand, soil, wood or grass. SIGNUS and its industry partners reject the suggestion that currently compliant recycled rubber playground surfaces represent an established health risk, pointing to European regulation and studies by organizations including ECHA, RIVM and U.S. authorities that have assessed exposure to recycled tire rubber as low or very low under the conditions studied. The organizations also stress that the EU restriction taking effect in October 2031 applies to loose polymeric infill used on synthetic sports surfaces because of microplastic emissions and does not constitute a general ban on bonded recycled rubber safety flooring used in playgrounds. The dispute places renewed attention on one of the established material recycling outlets for end-of-life tire rubber and on how health, environmental and circular economy considerations should be balanced in future public-space specifications.

Ecologistas en Acción calls for removal of rubber surfaces

Ecologistas en Acción launched its “Parques con Salud” campaign on October 14, 2026, calling on local governments, education authorities and sports facility operators to begin removing synthetic and recycled rubber surfaces from playgrounds, schoolyards and sports areas.

The organization says the precautionary principle should be applied rather than waiting for future regulatory restrictions and proposes prioritizing surfaces that are heavily used or already deteriorated.

Campaign raises concerns over chemical exposure

Ecologistas en Acción argues that rubber surfaces can contain complex mixtures of substances including organophosphate plasticizers, flame retardants, resins, colorants and metals.

The campaign raises concerns about possible exposure through skin contact, inhalation of volatile compounds and accidental ingestion of small particles, particularly among children who spend time close to the ground.

It also argues that cumulative exposure from multiple sources should be considered rather than evaluating playground surfaces in isolation.

Environmental group cites concerns over chronic exposure

Experts participating in the campaign said their concern relates primarily to repeated or long-term exposure rather than immediate acute toxicity.

Ecologistas en Acción also points to potential environmental impacts from weathering, particle loss and leaching of substances from outdoor rubber surfaces into surrounding soil and water.

Heat accumulation also raised as concern

The campaign links its criticism of rubber surfaces with adaptation to increasingly frequent heat waves.

Ecologistas en Acción argues that rubber surfaces can become particularly hot under direct sunlight and that more natural alternatives, combined with vegetation and shade, may provide more comfortable public spaces during periods of high temperature.

SIGNUS, FER and Rubber Consortium issue technical response

Two days after the campaign announcement, SIGNUS, the Spanish Federation of Recovery and Recycling and the Rubber Consortium published a joint technical clarification challenging several of the conclusions presented by Ecologistas en Acción.

The organizations argue that the available regulatory framework and scientific evidence do not support a general conclusion that compliant recycled tire rubber playground flooring presents an unacceptable health risk.

Industry response distinguishes hazard from exposure risk

SIGNUS and its partners emphasize that detection of a chemical substance in rubber, air or leachate does not by itself establish a health risk.

They argue that risk assessment must also consider the concentration of a substance, its toxicity, exposure route and duration of exposure.

The statement cites evaluations by institutions including the European Chemicals Agency, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment and U.S. authorities that have examined dermal contact, inhalation and ingestion scenarios associated with recycled tire rubber.

SIGNUS cites studies describing exposure risk as low

The industry statement refers to research conducted over more than 15 years that it says generally found low or very low health risks under the exposure scenarios assessed.

Among the studies cited are evaluations by ECHA and RIVM, research under the European Risk Assessment Study on Synthetic Turf Rubber Infill and work carried out in the United States on recycled tire crumb rubber.

SIGNUS also cites research examining volatile organic compounds under elevated temperature conditions and says measured concentrations remained below levels considered of concern in those studies.

PAHs in rubber granulate are regulated under REACH

The response highlights existing European restrictions on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rubber granules and mulches.

Regulation (EU) 2021/1199 limits the combined concentration of eight specified PAHs to 20 mg/kg in granules and mulches used as infill or in loose form on playgrounds and sports applications.

SIGNUS notes that this limit became applicable in August 2022 and is substantially stricter than the requirements that applied previously.

Industry points to lower PAH values in cited study

The joint statement cites the ERASSTRI research program, which reported concentrations of the eight regulated PAHs between approximately 5 and 12 mg/kg in the samples assessed.

SIGNUS uses these results to argue that recycled tire rubber meeting current specifications can remain below the applicable REACH limit.

2031 microplastics restriction applies to loose sports infill

A central point of disagreement concerns the scope of the EU microplastics restriction introduced through Regulation (EU) 2023/2055.

From October 17, 2031, polymeric infill material used on synthetic sports surfaces will no longer be allowed to be placed on the EU market after the applicable transition period.

SIGNUS stresses that this measure addresses releases of microplastic particles into the environment and does not constitute a general prohibition of bonded rubber playground flooring.

Bonded playground flooring remains outside that specific ban

According to the industry clarification, the 2031 restriction applies to loose granulate used as infill in synthetic sports fields, not to agglomerated rubber safety surfaces installed in playgrounds.

The distinction is significant for tire recycling because loose infill and bonded safety flooring represent different applications with different material behavior and regulatory treatment.

Playground surfaces are also governed by fall-protection standards

SIGNUS points to UNE-EN 1176 and UNE-EN 1177 standards governing playground safety and impact attenuation.

These standards require surfaces beneath playground equipment to provide appropriate protection according to potential fall height, making impact performance an important consideration when comparing alternative materials.

Ecologistas en Acción proposes natural alternatives

The environmental organization is encouraging municipalities to replace rubber with alternatives such as grass, sand, soil, wood, gravel and other materials selected with appropriate technical supervision.

The group says accessibility and fall protection should remain part of project design but argues that these objectives can be achieved without continued reliance on recycled rubber flooring.

Puente Viesgo plans gradual replacement

Ecologistas en Acción cites the municipality of Puente Viesgo in Cantabria as an early example of its proposed approach.

The municipality has committed to progressively replacing rubber surfaces, beginning with the most deteriorated and intensively used areas, while considering natural alternatives that meet safety and accessibility requirements.

Citizen mapping campaign aims to identify rubber surfaces

The Parques con Salud initiative is also developing a citizen-science mapping program to identify playgrounds, schoolyards and sports areas containing rubber surfaces.

The initial work began in Cantabria, with plans to expand the mapping initiative to other parts of Spain.

Recycled tire rubber remains established circular economy outlet

For the tire recycling sector, playground flooring is one of several applications for granulate produced from end-of-life tires.

Other established outlets include sports surfaces, construction products, molded rubber goods and infrastructure applications.

The debate therefore has implications beyond individual playground projects because restrictions or changes in public procurement could influence demand for recycled tire rubber and the economics of material recycling.

Spanish regulation recognizes selected uses of recycled rubber

SIGNUS also points to Spain’s end-of-waste framework for rubber granulate and powder recovered from end-of-life tires.

Order TED/1522/2021 recognizes several applications in which properly processed recycled rubber can cease to be classified as waste, provided that technical, market, environmental and health requirements are satisfied.

Safety flooring for playgrounds and sports applications is among the uses covered by the framework.

Debate reflects broader challenge for tire recycling markets

The disagreement between Ecologistas en Acción and the tire recycling sector illustrates the increasing scrutiny applied to secondary materials used in consumer and public applications.

Recycled tire rubber provides an outlet for material recovered from end-of-life tires, but its future use depends on maintaining confidence in product quality, exposure controls, environmental performance and compliance with evolving regulation.

Both sides call for greater attention to material performance

While the two sides reach different conclusions, both place emphasis on the need to understand how rubber surfaces behave throughout their service life.

Ecologistas en Acción is calling for earlier substitution based on precaution, while SIGNUS and its partners argue that decisions should remain grounded in exposure assessment, regulatory limits and application-specific scientific evidence.

Future specifications may determine role of recycled rubber in public spaces

The controversy is likely to increase attention on material specifications, product testing, maintenance and procurement requirements for playground and sports surfaces.

For tire recyclers, the outcome will influence one of the potential markets for recycled rubber at a time when the sector is already preparing for the 2031 phase-out of loose rubber infill in synthetic sports fields and searching for durable alternative outlets for crumb rubber.

Original statements by SIGNUS and Ecologistas en Acción.