What is synthetic rubber?
Rubber was originally a natural, plant-based material, from the hevea tree, used in a wide range of products.
Its name comes from the Maipure Indian word « cahutchu », meaning « weeping wood », a reference to the way the latex runs like a tear when the trunk is cut. In Aztec times, rubber was already used in various sacred rites: they shaped it into balls used as offerings. This civilisation also played the « juego de pelota », a game played with a rubber ball.
Today the rubber market is split between natural rubber and synthetic rubber. The latter is an industrial alternative to plant-based rubber, but it is less sustainable and less responsible, as it is made from polluting hydrocarbons.
Why is synthetic rubber used?
Synthetic rubber is used as a substitute for natural rubber, especially when the product needs strong mechanical properties, such as abrasion resistance or heat resistance.
Natural rubber is also under threat today from Mycrocyclus ulei, a fungus already rife in Brazil and threatening to spread to Asia, where hevea cultivation is concentrated. This fungus infects the leaves to produce its spores and makes them fall early, limiting the tree's ability to photosynthesise, and therefore its growth and survival.
The threat to this natural resource endangers rubber production, but above all the environment. To make up for the lack of hevea, manufacturers would then have to produce more synthetic rubber, which is far more polluting and far less kind to the planet.
The alternatives: towards sustainable, fair rubber
Natural rubber from responsible sources
A sustainable way of producing the material exists: natural rubber from responsible or organic sources, following the principles of fair trade. Natural rubber is a plant-based material, made from the latex of the hevea tree. So in principle it is a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based synthetic rubber.
According to the WWF, natural rubber can have a positive impact if it is grown responsibly.* "Growing it sustainably, even on severely degraded land, helps restore ecosystem services and capture carbon." In all, around 6 million smallholders produce natural rubber.*
However, unsustainable natural rubber production has negative impacts, and is responsible for massive deforestation, in South East Asia for example. That is why responsible fashion brands are turning to responsibly sourced rubber, FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council) for example. The FSC label recognises plantations meeting these conditions. It is based on 10 principles, such as respecting working conditions and indigenous peoples, and preserving forest ecosystems.
Towards recycled rubber
To give rubber a new lease of life, some manufacturers have developed a recycling system for it. This helps avoid environmental pollution and extends the life of this natural material.
However, it is not a widespread process, and it is often not recycling as such but rather what is known as downcycling. The rubber is collected and turned into a lower-quality material or product. For example, rubber can be turned into granules used for synthetic sports pitch surfaces.
Only a few projects recycle rubber into products of the same quality, as the technical processes and costs are not yet attractive enough.
Rubber : the verdict ?
The pros
The latex that rubber comes from is an abundant natural raw material, widely grown, especially in Asia. As a natural plant-based material, rubber can meet today's challenges towards ethical, responsible fashion.
The cons
Rubber farming is still highly controversial today and, like palm oil, contributes to deforestation in Asia. The use of pesticides endangers farm workers as much as it endangers nature. The rubber industry faces the challenge of the balance between natural and synthetic rubber, the latter being far more polluting than its plant-based counterpart. Rubber recycling processes need to improve so the raw material can be reused without drawing on natural resources.
Rubber: a few figures
Natural rubber production amounts to around 11 million tonnes a year from 10 million hectares of hevea, and millions of jobs depend on it.
90% of global production of natural rubber comes from Asia, although hevea is native to the Amazon. Thailand and Indonesia are the leading natural rubber producers, with 32% and 26% of global production respectively in 2013.
Natural rubber producing countries, in thousands of tonnes
Synthetic rubber production exceeds that of natural rubber, at around 16 million tonnes a year. China is the leading producer.
Synthetic rubber producing countries, in thousands of tonnes
Natural rubber consumption is rising worldwide today.
This growth is driven above all by China, which accounts for 40% of global consumption. China's growing middle class is fuelling rubber consumption: between 2005 and 2016 it rose by 88%. But this growth is linked more to the boom in the car industry than to the textile industry.
*Source: WWF
