How much cypress is really in cypress mulch bags?
Updated Dec 11, 2020;
Posted Dec 11, 2020
Penn State researchers say they have a new method to determine whether the wood in a bag of mulch is what the label claims it is.
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Penn State University researchers claim that consumers buying bags of cypress mulch might not be getting what they think.
Using a new method of analyzing wood, the researchers found that bags of cypress mulch might contain only 30 to 60 percent of cypress wood – and in some cases, none at all.
“Some of the largest mulch manufacturers have been accused of intentionally misleading consumers about the species mix,” said Dr. Judd Michael, a professor of Ag Safety and Health in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “It is difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to know whether the product is the species listed on the packaging.”