Why Guayule is good for the environment and your wallet
The daily message we receive from the media is that green is good. Green cars, green buildings, green plastic and now even green rubber should be the focus that we, as consumers, maintain. This is proving easier and easier to do; especially with products such as latex rubber made from a desert plant called guayule becoming more common.
Hevea, a product of the para rubber tree, is what most rubber is derived from. Para rubber trees are native to Brazil. They were transplanted to Southeast Asia and have been carefully bred to produce increased hevea. Most rubber comes from this region of the world today, with the balance synthetically produced from petroleum. While it’s true that most rubber is organic inherently, it’s not “green” necessarily-at least not as green as guayule.
Beginning with proximity, the benefits of using rubber derived from environmentally-friendly plant guayule are simple to see. Whereas hevea must be grown overseas in tropical climates, the other natural source of latex rubber, guayule, can be grown in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The cost to the environment is lower than importing hevea-based rubber from overseas because of reduced fuel usage, since guayule is grown so close to home.
Second, guayule’s location presents a green benefit. Guayule is a tremendously hearty plant, unlike hevea rubber produced from the common para rubber tree grown in tropical areas. Because it’s naturally resistant, it does not require any chemical pesticides to keep its health. Para rubber trees are tremendously susceptible to leaf blight, so chemical pesticides are required to remain healthy. Chemical pesticides have been associated with various environmental and health risks, so guayule’s natural pest resistance is significant.
A third green attribute of guayule is that it can be used as an ethanol feedstock. Unlike corn, which is commonly used to make ethanol, guayule is not a food source and therefore does not impact the world’s food source in availability or price. In some situations the demand for corn to produce ethanol has impacted the food supply in the market. But that’s not an issue with guayule since it’s not a food source.
Finally, guayule is an excellent source of hypoallergenic natural rubber latex. Hevea latex allergies are a serious issue-it’s estimated that 10 percent of the U.S. population has a latex allergy. Currently, most hypoallergenic latex is derived from petroleum-based synthetic rubber. Obviously, a natural source of hypoallergenic rubber is fundamentally superior to rubber synthesized from petroleum.
Because of import restrictions, leaf blight decimation, and common latex allergies among health care providers guayule gained popularity throughout the 20th century. Although more rubber can be produced from a single para rubber tree than a guayule plant, the overall greenness, locale, energy-producing potential and hypoallergenic qualities of the guayule plant is unbeatable.
The question now is how do green-conscious consumers support this product? Local farmers in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, along with the Yulex Corporation, are producing the crop and working to manufacture latex products from it. To invest in the success of the environment and the affordability of guayule produced rubber products, a sure way is to find ways to support these entities.