D. R. Smith, C. H. Gilliam, J. H. Edwards, and Bridget K. Behe

Developing new products from recyclable material often requires considerable work. Issues facing those developers include not only the best way to manufacture the commodity, but also how to secure public acceptance of a non-traditional product. A case in point is the development of a mulch material made from recycled paper. Tascon Inc. introduced the product 4 years ago. The manufacturing process involves first grinding the paper and then reforming it into either pellets or a crumble. The product, known as EnviroGuard, has been tested at Auburn University and has proved to be effective for controlling weeds in nursery container production and in a landscape situation. In the initial stages of production the mulch was a gray color, but in studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the mulch, it was noted that the color was not aesthetically pleasing as a landscape mulch. Pigments were added to create other colors, primarily rust and brown, attempting to make the mulch more appealing to consumers.

Mulching is a common practice for residential and commercial landscapers and several factors are considered when selecting a mulch. Since mulches are used over large areas, they are highly visible in the landscape and should be aesthetically pleasing, durable, and effective. Color is also an important consideration when selecting a mulch and good design uses color contrast to augment a landscape. Mulch should permit water to penetrate into the soil and allow for gas exchange between soil and air, and maintain effectiveness as it decomposes. Other factors affecting mulch selection include weed control, texture, and susceptibility to erosion by wind or water.

One alternative mulch that has been evaluated in several studies and in several forms, is recycled waste paper. Two recently developed paper mulches, generated from recycled waste paper, were evaluated in a previous study at Auburn University, and proved to be effective as landscape mulches for weed control and soil moisture retention.

Few studies have been conducted to evaluate consumer preferences and attitudes concerning various organic mulches and factors that affect consumer preference for mulch materials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the aesthetic value of three traditional mulches (pine bark, pine straw, and wheat straw), and the two new mulch products (in three different colors), developed from recycled waste paper. Reasons why consumers purchase mulch and the benefits that the consumers anticipated from the mulch were also identified.

METHODS
Two groups were surveyed. The first group surveyed consisted of 37 middle-aged adults (mean age 42) who were employed full-time in education related fields in the Auburn area. This group will be referred to as non-students. The second group consisted of 25 young adults who were students from a senior-level horticulture class at Auburn University (mean age 25). This group will be referred to as students. Participants were asked to complete a 13-item survey which requested information on past purchases of mulch, uses for mulch, mulch preference, and demographic information, (age, gender, income level, and education level). They were asked to indicate the time of their most recent purchase of plants and/or mulch, type of mulch purchased, and type of store/garden center from which they made their purchase. Participants were also asked what factors would most affect their decision when purchasing mulch, why they use mulch, and how many years they have gardened.

On two different dates the respondents were asked to rate nine different mulches that were used to mulch annual plant beds at the Patterson Greenhouse complex at Auburn University. The first rating was 2 weeks after the mulch was applied and the second rating was 6 weeks later. Plots were planted with either ageratum or marigold and mulched with one of the nine mulches. Each plot size was 4 feet × 4 feet and contained three plants each of either ageratum or marigold.

The nine different mulches were pine bark, pine needles, wheat straw, gray recycled paper pellets, gray recycled paper crumble, brown recycled paper pellets, brown recycled paper crumble, rust recycled paper pellets, and rust recycled paper crumble (see figure). In the initial rating when the plants were young, approximately 75% of the ground (mulch) was exposed. By the second rating 50% or less of the ground (mulch) was exposed. Individuals were asked to rate plots on a scale of 1 - 5, where 1 = definitely would not purchase the mulch, 3 = may or may not purchase the mulch, and 5 = definitely would purchase the mulch.

Recycled paper mulches used in the consumer survey. Clockwise from the top: gray pellets, gray crumble, rust pellets, rust crumble, brown pellets, and brown crumble.

RESULTS
The non-students had gardened for an average of 15 years; 92% owned their own home and had lived there an average of 8 years (28 years being the maximum). The average income range was $45,000 to $50,000, with 28% earning over $65,000 ayear.

The group consisting of 25 students, had gardened for an average of 6 years; 80% rented their place of residence and had lived there an average of 1 year. It was difficult to accurately determine their personal income level since several listed their parents’ household income; however, 60% reported having annual incomes of less than $15,000.

Both groups showed a significant increase in frequency of purchase from 1994 to 1996. Seven percent of non-students purchased mulch in 1994, whereas 70% purchased mulch in 1996. Student percentage for mulch purchases rose from 15% to 55%, with 20% of the students not having purchased mulch in the last 3 years. Several survey participants stated that although they had not purchased mulch, they had raked pine needles to use as mulch. A greater percentage of both groups purchased mulch from a chain store (44%, each group) than from a local garden center (non-students 32%, and students 20%), or other source (24% and 20%, respectively).

The type of mulch most frequently purchased by non-students and students respectively, was pine bark, 53% and 79%, followed by pine needles, 30% and 16%. Other sources have also indicated that mulches obtained from the excess of wood related industries are currently some of the most popular.

Both groups considered the soil moisture retention capacity of mulch second only to the aesthetic appeal of the mulch. The majority of the non-students reported that the reason they used mulch was to make the landscape neat (84%) and conserve moisture (73%). Students indicated aesthetics were the primary reason for using mulch (96%), followed by moisture retention (88%).

Both groups ranked pine bark as the mulch most likely to be purchased, followed by pine needles. Despite the differences between individuals in the two groups (age, income, rent vs own), there was no difference in selection of the most preferable mulch. Preference of mulch type did not change over time; however, the perception of the aesthetic value of a given mulch did change. For example, the perception of all pellets and pine needles was different in the first and second ratings (see table). All pellets, and particularly the gray, were given a higher aesthetic value in the second rating, while the pine bark and pine needles were given a lower aesthetic value.

The change in aesthetic perception of mulches was not surprising since mulches do change over time. Recycled paper mulches change considerably with changes in the gray-colored mulch more pronounced than the rust or brown. As the gray mulch aged, it became darker and appeared to blend more aesthetically with the surrounding area. The pellets also expanded as they absorbed water and as they began to break down they lost their ‘hard’ edges and assumed a softer texture.

The aesthetic perception of pine bark and pine needles also changed over time; however, it decreased rather than increased. Also, the pine bark tended to wash away from landscaped plots, whereas the paper mulch remained in place. Longer term evaluations than in the current study need to be conducted since mulches are typically replaced at least once a year in landscapes.

In every case, pine bark and pine needles were the most preferred mulches. Comparison of recycled waste paper mulches showed that crumble mulches were favored over pelleted mulches with rust and brown being the most preferred colors. Consumer perception of the aesthetic value of mulch changed over time with pellets improving in perception and all other mulches remaining the same or declining. These results may indicate that even though recycling and environmental issues continue to be of concern, the challenge will be for manufactures of recycled products to gain consumer acceptance of non-traditional commodities entering a market dominated by traditional products.