Can the Tire Industry be Sustainable? Guayule Farmers Say Yes

With water cuts looming in 2019, Will Thelander planted guayule on a 20-acre patch of his 6,000-acre farm in Pinal County, Ariz. He knew the hardy green shrub thrives in blistering heat and can survive months with little water.

His initial investment was much more than a water scarcity choice. Guayule (pronounced why-OO-lee) could be, within the next decade, a source of rubber for tire manufacturers in the United States.

Investment in the crop has skyrocketed. In 2022, the Agriculture Department and Bridgestone, the tire and rubber company, gave University of Arizona researchers …

Source: The Washington Post