Firstly, being aware of your environmental impact is commendable, awareness is the first step. The next is action; implementing ways to avoid harmful pollutants entering our eco system.
The fact is: without exception, synthetic surfaces are not eco-friendly. Although some products last substantially longer than organic/natural products, sometimes using recycled or repurposed products and diverting from landfill. Synthetic surfaces are often expensive so a good reason to care for your investment by ensuring none is going down the drain or being blown away.
We had an enquiry today asking a few questions, so I thought I’d post here for all to see.
1. How will we stop the product escaping my arena, yards, stables, round pens, dry lot? For a start we suggest installing kickboards: wood or recycled plastic edging placed around the bottom of your fence. Dig out a small V with a spade so you can put 2.5cm into the ground, with approx. 15-20cm above the arena surface. these can be nailed or cable tied to existing fences or use heavy duty pegs.
Other options include power poles / railway sleepers / cinder blocks / rocks / concrete posts / tyres filled in with plants, hedges or dense planting around your perimeter that can to help keep your surface contained from being flicked when riding or if it banks up on the sides. Across an entrance/exit of your arena/round pen/stable or yard you can install a gate brush or an innovative product called Bedding Blocker or DIY with an upside down broom, a draught seal or flexible strip brush, weather seal. The purpose of it is to sweep any excess surface from hooves, boots and paws before they leave the area.
2. How do we separate the product from manure for composting? We have tried and tested this process.. Set up 3 bins in your composting area. ORGANIC / NON-ORGANIC / RETURN. Source a large drum with a lid. Install a tap 1/3 of the way down. Half fill with water. Empty manure (place buckets inside your trolley is easiest) into the drum. Give it a stir then leave to settle. Foam and some PVC Granule will float to the top, you can scoop it off with a sieve, or mesh scoop. Put into the RETURN bin. Cover lid Once a month or when almost full, turn the tap on and collect the manure liquid for the garden. Empty the remains into feed sacks to drain the water off, then hang in the shed to dry, once fully dry, shake the contents onto a mesh screen with difference sizes mesh, like a soil seive to seperate the granule, rubber, fibres or whatever you are fltering out. you can put in the RETURN bin. Hose/rinse the product in the RETURN bin and return the arena.
This process means nothing goes into the your compost/soil/water or landfill.
NO WASTE GENERATED.
3. How do we stop the wind blowing product around? Watering and grooming are the cheapest option to help this. When the surface is wet it will bind together. Grooming mixes the sand with surface product/s together, but when it dries out, the lightest particles will lift to the surface and could potentially blow away. Our most recommended option is our liquid wax, applying will help to bind your surface. The ratio is 1 litre per 2 square metres, at this ratio it still allows product to retain important water to keep your surface soft and inhibit dust. Planting is great long term around the perimeter of your arena there are many options of hardy and attractive natives, bushes or hedges: Agapanthas / Teatree / Griselinia /Lavender / Lucerne / Tagasaste / Escallonia / Buxus Microphylla Japonica / Sempervirens are a few suggestions.
In the meantime while waiting for them to grow you could install wind break, netting or fine chicken wire on the arena side of your fence.
Don’t forget gateways too, you can also use the recycled plastic edging or conveyer belt to hang in the space below the gate but above the ground; loosely wire threaded or cable tied so it can move both ways and drag.
If any surface does escape your arena once a month whip around with the leaf blower or vaccum and it can be sorted out within an hour.
4. How do I stop arena surface going down the drain or running off my arena?
If building new then discuss with your drainlayer what options are available for intercepting the sand and surface from going into the drainage. If you have an existing arena, firstly assess where the water fall goes to. Check what outlet you have is it a concrete or concrete pipe you can fit a mesh sleeve over the pipe to collect any particles but let the water drain through. If you have leaves, organic matter such as manure or silt from your sand in the run off water; then you will need to empty the mesh net regularly eg every few days and before it rains again to ensure the water can flow through.
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