ST. LOUIS – A refurbished addition to the St. Margaret of Scotland playground has opened in south St. Louis.

The new playground surface was funded by a $40,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Patrick Holley, Principal at St. Margaret of Scotland, says this is a big upgrade to the previous flooring. “The material before were individual little squares, and in the sun, what they would do is curl up,” he said.

The brand-new playground flooring is made of 25,000 pounds of used, recycled tires. It’s much more efficient and resilient than before. The recycled materials were refurbished from the state of Missouri itself, which fit into the teachings of St. Margaret of Scotland by being good stewards of the Earth.

Justin Rolwes, the project manager behind the new equipment, says that by using this grant, the new flooring was extended to the blacktop, making it ADA accessible. The playground is open to kids who not only attend SMOS, but also the public after school hours.