In Arizona, University of Arizona researchers are teaming up with Bridgestone Americas Inc. to develop a new variety of natural rubber from a source that is more sustainable and can be grown in the forbidding conditions of the arid Southwest. The $70 million, five-year project is focused on growing and processing guayule (pronounced why-OO-lee), a […]
In Arizona, tire major Bridgestone has announced it will invest another $42 million—on top of the over $100 million it has already spent—to commercialize natural rubber from the guayule desert shrub by 2030 and achieve 100% renewable tires by 2050. The funds will establish planting and harvesting guayule at scale. Bridgestone will also collaborate and […]
In Nashville, tires made from natural rubber extracted from a Southwest US desert shrub will make their racing debut at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in August. Dubbed Firestone Firehawk, the material for the tires has been under development by Bridgestone for more than a decade. “The introduction of guayule natural rubber to […]
The bioeconomy is up and roaring with lion burgers and tiger tacos, but don’t worry, no animals are actually killed for the exotic meat. It’s Primeval Foods lab-grown, cultivated exotic meats that people would otherwise not get to consume. And if that’s not fun enough for you, check out Mattel’s new biobased, carbon neutral toys […]
In Arizona, leading tire manufacturer Bridgestone has been awarded a Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute grant to advance development of natural rubber from guayule, a desert shrub. Bridgestone is targeting 100% renewable materials by 2050 and hopes to begin commercializing guayule rubber by the end of the decade. The Japanese company has been researching […]
Guayule is a native plant to the Chihuhuan Desert along the U.S./Mexico border and accumulates rubber in the bark layer, making it ideal for tire companies like Bridgestone. Along with co-products like bagasse, resin and hypoallergenic latex, guayule has other advantages to standard Hevea natural rubber. We’ve combined two slide guides into one – a […]
Did you know the USDA Agricultural Research Service is engineering natural rubber production? We know natural rubber is needed for industry, medicine and defense but it’s in short supply – alternative rubber crops can supply security for this critical material. Here’s a look at domestic production of natural rubber, why this is important for the […]
There are challenges to sustainable aviation fuel commercialization, but the USDA SAF program is focused on helping with feedstock supply chain systems, conversion and sustainability analysis and commercialization support. Find out about their coordinated agricultural projects on the latest emerging feedstocks involving Gevo, Greenwood, NuSeed, CoverCress, REG, and others.
In New Mexico, researchers from New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and College of Engineering have joined the Sustainable Bio-economy for Arid Regions project led by the University of Arizona. The SBAR project will research guayule and guar, two plants that grow well in the Southwest, as potential feedstock for […]
In Tennessee, Bridgestone Americas and Versalis are forming a strategic partnership to develop and deploy a comprehensive technology package to commercialize guayule in the agricultural, sustainable-rubber and renewable-chemical sectors. The partnership combines Bridgestone’s leadership position in guayule agriculture and production technologies with Versalis’ core strengths in commercial-scale process engineering and market development for renewables. This […]
