Published on OCT 29 2024 by James Smith

Sustainable Rubber from the Guayule Plant

Critical to modern industry, rubber is sourced in its natural and synthetic forms primarily from southeast Asia. The price of synthetics is tied to the price of oil, which can fluctuate considerably. For the North American market it makes sense to have a sustainable source closer to home.

The guayule plant can be grown on marginal lands without pesticides and the waste from rubber production can be used in biofuels.

Allergy Free

Guayule latex does not contain the allergen found in other naturally produced rubber product, giving it a leg up in the market for contraceptives and medical gloves.

Where the rubber meets the road.

By far, the biggest consumer of rubber is in the vehicular tire market. Bridgestone has developed a guayule-derived road tire. A guayule based tire, The Firehawk, made its debut on the IndyCar and Grand Prix racing circuits in 2023.

Bridgestone has partnered with the University of Arizona to plant up to 100 000 acres of guayule

Read the uarizona press release Read the original study

Written by James Smith