Shock Pad, invented by Pashut Yarok (“Simply Green”), is the first-ever use of polyethylene waste materials for safety flooring. Pashut Yarok, which manufactures and imports synthetic grass, intends Shock Pad as an underlay to all kinds of common surfaces, such as rubber, parquet, tarmac, concrete and artificial grass. He uses the example of public playgrounds to illustrate how his team came to conceive of Shock Pad.

CEO of Pashut Yarok Gai Sa’ar said that “Conventionally, the asphalt in parks with slides, swings and monkey bars was covered with tire rubber, to protect kids when they fall.” But, Sa’ar explains, “Over the past two years, this has been replaced by a form of synthetic grass covering a sort of elastic foam imported from a company in Italy. This new plastic material simply creates yet another pollutant.”

Pashut Yarok was importing this material to underlay its synthetic grass for sale to public parks, private gardens, traffic circles and various other clients and venues. But, he says, “Not only is it expensive — and not only is it a pollutant — but it isn’t such a great shock absorber either, because you need thick slabs of it for the desired effect.” This is how the idea to create its own padding came to Pashut Yarok.

The 20-person staff of Pashut Yarok (which partners with the Hoboken, New Jersey-based company Garden Mark) spent eight months experimenting with gluing and compressing polyethylene scraps – the stuff used to pad and protect electrical and electronic appliances inside the boxes in which they are delivered – to create their product. Sa’ar says that once the company has the ability to collect enough discarded polyethylene for mass producing Shock Pad, the possibilities for additional implementation of the material are endless. “Being profitable while protecting the environment is what we are all about,” he concludes. (via Israel21c)

[Photo: אופיר אבסלנדר  / YouTube ]