Parking lots bring many challenges for those responsible—everything from vehicle collisions to pedestrian safety to dealing with overall traffic flow. For everyone from property managers, building owners, and employers to public safety personnel, there is a growing demand for innovative parking lot safety products that protect people and property while also being eco-friendly parking lot safety solutions (e.g., recycled rubber and plastic wheel stops).
Traditional materials, concrete, used in manufacturing wheel stops are often susceptible to cracking, and deterioration over the long haul. These can break down and become ineffective or damage vehicles. Some parking lot safety products are impermeable, causing problems when there is heavy rainfall and creating poor drainage, which can lead to safety concerns like hydroplaning, damming, and skidding.
Most businesses responsible for managing parking lots are eager to find safety solutions that also meet the public’s expectations for sustainability and environmental responsibility. Environmentally, manufacturing can include extensive energy consumption, resource utilization, and dangerously high emissions.
Benefits of Using Recycled Plastic Rubber Materials in Parking Lot Stops
Parking lot blocks and wheel stops made from recycled composite materials right here in the U.S. offer greater benefits than traditional concrete parking stops in multiple ways, including:
- Flexibility, Durability, & Reliability—Recycled composite wheel stops offer much better resilience to physical wear and tear. They simply hold up better than their concrete counterparts, with significantly increased longevity.
- Weather Resistant—Recycled rubber and plastic (composite material) parking lot blocks offer a greater defense against extreme weather and UV Rays. Weather tolerance and endurance are becoming increasingly important as changes to our environment bring greater sustained heat in hotter months and more violent storms.
- Reduced Damage to Vehicles—By using a rubber plastic composite material, potential damage to car’s spoilers, and trucks can be minimized when parking in your parking lots.
- Sustainability—Recycling rubber from used tires, post industrial plastics from construction products, etc., has proven to reduce waste and is an important step in creating a circular economy without sacrificing functionality.
- Installation—Because of their lighter weight, recycled composite parking lot stops can be installed by one person, saving time, and money from the start.
- Cost-Effectiveness—Beyond installation costs, using recycled rubber and plastic parking stops saves money overall with lower maintenance costs and a longer lifespan.
What Are Recycled Plastic Rubber (Composite) Wheel Stops?
Superior to conventional concrete or plastic wheel stops, recycled rubber parking blocks and stops, sometimes called ‘car parking wheel stoppers,’ are made from a composite material of recycled rubber and plastic that is domestically sourced and is impact and weather-resistant. Recycled rubber parking stops don’t chip, warp, corrode, or crack and will last for years virtually maintenance-free.
Choose the Right Color or Company Logo
Ideal for commercial, private, and public or municipal settings, recycled composite rubber parking blocks can be outfitted with various color polygon stripes and safety yellow end caps to increase visibility and safety for pedestrians and vehicles alike. They can also be customized with printed company names, logos, and branding in various printed colors.
Because recycled composite material is so durable, your parking stops always look their best. The embedded color doesn’t chip or start to look worn, like painted concrete or the imported product.
Why is color important on composite rubber wheel stops? Note the following:
- The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that an estimated 1 in 5 accidents happen in parking lots—and the number actually increases during the holidays when people are in a rush. By using clearly marked parking spaces with colored polygon wheel stops, you can improve the safety of people and vehicles and reduce the liability for frequent accidents.
- Using high-contrast colors, like brilliant safety yellow, handicap blue, or eco-green, improves low-light or nighttime conditions. Drivers can easily see visual queues, which improves parking lot safety, especially in poorly lit areas.
- According to AAA, 14% of all insurance claims are from parking lot collisions. Proper directional signals, such as color on parking stops and other parking lot safety measures such as speed bumps and speed humps, reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries.
- According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), pedestrian safety improves by as much as 25% when parking lots are well-designed and clearly marked.
Eco-Friendly Solutions for Parking Lot Safety
With today’s parking lot infrastructure, safety, and sustainability are high priorities when properties are being designed (or redesigned). Eco-friendly manufacturing processes and domestically sourced recyclable materials are making innovative approaches to parking lot safety the first choice for leaders in their industries.
What is eco-friendly about recycled composite parking bumpers? Let’s take a look:
- Green construction methods are the rule rather than the exception today. If you want to meet your customers where they live, modern construction developments are increasingly focused on how circular economy products are being utilized, and parking lots are no exception.
- Recycled rubber and plastic are not the only sustainable solution; recycled rubber and plastic composite wheel stops are gaining in popularity for their durability and reduced environmental footprint.
- Parking lot and property owners are incredibly mindful of reducing their carbon footprint. One good solution is to use recycled materials like rubber-plastic composite wheel stops, which will reduce the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing new parking lot infrastructure components.
By integrating these sustainable practices, property developers, building owners, and parking lot operators can become more environmentally responsible and align with global sustainability goals.
To Sum Up
Recycled plastic rubber composite parking stops offer a sustainable and effective solution for enhancing safety and organization in commercial, private, and municipal parking lots and structures. Unlike traditional concrete stops, their flexibility and durability make them resistant to cracking or breaking.
Additionally, using bright, reflective colors on these parking stops significantly improves their visibility, especially in low-light conditions. This added visibility improves overall appearance while reducing accidents and contributes to a safer parking environment for both pedestrians and vehicles.
Beyond safety, recycled composite parking stops are environmentally friendly. Made from recycled materials, they help reduce waste by giving new life to this material, such as recycled tires and construction materials. This minimizes the environmental impact on multiple levels and supports eco-conscious construction and maintenance practices.
As an affordable, durable, and sustainable option, composite rubber and plastic parking stops provide a practical alternative to traditional materials while promoting safer, more organized parking spaces.
Contact Rubberform to learn more about our parking lot safety solutions such as our wheel stops and all of our recycled material products for parking lot safety sectors.
