Any company that works with wood products knows how important it is to be socially aware of what impact their trade has on deforestation and the environment. At TMA Bark, we take this responsibility very seriously and as such, aim to ensure that the majority of our products are FSC certified.

This sounds great, but what does it actually mean?

What is the FSC?

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was set up in California in 1990 by a group of people that were concerned about the rate of deforestation. All members were involved in some way with either the timber or the environmental market in some way and they set about work highlighting the need for

‘A system that could credibly identify well-managed forests as sources of responsibly produced wood products’

And that is exactly what they did. The FSC continually promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

So what does it mean to be FSC Certified?

Being FSC Certified means that when you buy an eligible TMA Bark wood product, you can rest assured that you are buying a product that has been produced following the highest social and environmental standards. Every step of the process is compliant with a set of rules and regulations that ensure that as a company we are always thinking about the environment and our impact upon it.

Why Buy an FSC Certified Product?

The FSC label allows customers to recognise that the product they are purchasing came from a sustainable source and has not been illegally harvested. All of TMA barks products listed as FSC Certified from our Premium Range right through to our biomass products, are from FSC mixed sources at a minimum of 70%. You can buy our products knowing that you are now also part of the FSC vision and are doing your bit to help protect the environment.

As well as this, we are also proud to provide:

• Green waste composting services, including collection
• Efficient delivery service of all products
• FSC Certified products across the range
• Biomass and Biofilter materials
• Playgrade barks certified to BS EN 1177: 2008 standards
• Complete range of bark, mulches and woodchips for every requirement

No matter what size your business is, we can cater for you. With a wide client base that ranges from small landscapers and local authorities to professional growers and garden enthusiasts, we are sure to have a product that will suit your needs.

With over 20 years’ experience, we can provide advice and information to ensure that you get the right product for the job so call our team today on 01362 638 441 with any enquiries or orders that you would like to discuss

Play areas; for the children, it’s a place of fun and adventure where anything is possible.

For the parents, there are the possibilities of scraped knees and bumped heads to contend with and safety will always be at the forefront of their minds.

Whether the play area in question is a public park run by the Council, a school playground or even in the family area of the local pub/restaurant, minimising risk and the safety of the children that will be using it will come first and the floor surface that is used will be chosen with care.

There are a number of things that need to be considered, including;

• Safety
• Durability
• Aesthetics
• Price

With safety being the most important factor in the decision making process, hard surfaces like concrete or packed earth are no longer options, and with 70% of playground accidents resulting from falling, it is vital that the surface is an impact absorbent material, such as pine nuggets or softwood chip.

Critical height is the ‘maximum fall height from which a life-threatening head injury would not be expected to occur’ and will need to be considered when applying a floor surface to the play area.

When using wood chips or wood mulch, to protect from a 1.6m drop, you would need an uncompressed depth layer of 100mm to absorb the energy of the fall.

It is also important that the play area looks good and fits in with the surrounding areas aesthetics. Wood chip or bark add a more natural, earthly feel to a play area as well as being safe and durable against weather conditions, and they do not become slippery underfoot unlike some rubber alternatives.

TMA Bark’s Play Range bark comes in various materials and price scales, our products being sourced from sustainable sources with Certificates of Test available to view on our website, so you can buy with confidence.

We range from high quality pine nuggets, right through to the more economical range of softwood and hardwood chips, meaning no matter what your project budget is, we have a playground surface solution for you.

Contact us today to discuss the best wood chip solution for your project on 01362 638441