Tired Out

The first time I remember seeing shredded tires used as a ground cover was around 2000 at this horse venue:

in their practice ring and waiting area outside the main arena. While the whole event center was something of a heady experience for a bunch if two bit 4H'ers on $1000 horses, the idea that they sprung for 'the good stuff' for horses to stomp around on seemed extravagant at the time. Now of course it is a great deal cheaper and at least for horse venues makes a lot of sense as it cuts down considerably on the cost of maintenance and dust in a competitive environment where the cleanliness of animals that love to roll in the dirt is a factor in the points awarded. 

That being said this is exactly the kind of innovation that eco-consciousness should  be getting behind. I compare this recycling effort to the rather stupid looking venture that converts plastic bags to park benches by Giant:

Talk about a rather silly PR campaign. Logically I have a hard time believing that such conversions are economically sustainable, and is just feel good BS. How to 'solve' the grocery bag problem? I am thinking making a biodegradable bag is the real answer. I would be willing to be charged for biodegradable bags to make that a reality. Instead, municipalities are mandating 'punishment' type taxes on the use of normal bags, pushing consumers to the unhygienic 'reusable shopping bags'. That is a tragedy, and just another dose of silly feel good nonsense foisted on us by tree hugging idiots.