A framework to evaluate the sustainability of guayule rubber tires

The United States is in need of a domestic and sustainable source of natural rubber to increase rubber independence and reduce reliance on petroleum polymers and imports. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a perennial shrub... [ view full abstract ]

The United States is in need of a domestic and sustainable source of natural rubber to increase rubber independence and reduce reliance on petroleum polymers and imports. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a perennial shrub that can be cultivated in the Southwestern US. The shrub produces natural rubber that could be an ideal substitute for Hevea natural rubbers and synthetic rubbers currently used in tires. A sustainability tool was developed to evaluate the environmental, social and economic implications of automobile tires containing guayule rubber components. In this concept tire, guayule rubber substitutes all of the Hevea and synthetic rubber originally present in each respective tire component. Lifecycle analysis was employed as a tool to evaluate the environmental impacts of producing guayule tires across all stages of tire production, including guayule agriculture, rubber extraction and processing, tire manufacture, use and end-of-life. These metrics for the guayule concept tire were compared with the results from an LCA model for a conventional tire. A regional input-output model was employed to evaluate the economic and social significance of manufacturing the tires. In this study, we present the sustainability implications resulting from a consolidated systems-wide framework of producing guayule rubber tires.