As many of you know many homeowners, contractors and landscapers love the
look of dressing up a home with dyed mulch. So what is really in the dye? Many may
think its toxins, chemicals and harmful to the environment and shouldn’t be put on
your flowerbeds. This could not be farther from the truth. Schreiber recycling uses
all EPA approved and certified dye in our coloring process. Mulch dye is composed
of Iron Oxide, Carbon, Water and a surfactant or sticking agent (this allows the
dye to adhere to the wood and accounts for <3%). Schreiber Recycling tested
several different colorant companies before deciding upon the most superior dye to
produce a superior product for our customers.
Applying dyed mulch, what is the difference? When dying mulch it has to go
through a curing process. This is simply mixing up the pile twice a week to bring
wet material to the surface so it can properly dry and adhere best to the mulch.
No matter how much and how often we mix the dyed mulch in a large pile we are
unable to reach 100% curing rate. When you the customer go to put down mulch
that has been dyed it needs to be able to dry in your flowerbed for at least 12 hours
before any chances of rain to ensure 100% curing of the product and to help prevent
the washing of dye off the mulch.