Rubber is produced from natural or synthetic sources.

Natural rubber is obtained from the milky white fluid called latex, found in many plants; synthetic rubbers are produced from unsaturated hydrocarbons. Long before Colombus arrived in the Americas, the native South Americans were using rubber to produce a number of water-resistant products. The Spaniards tried in vain to copy. These products (shoes, coats and capes), and it was not until the 18th century that European Scientists and manufacturers began to use rubber successfully on a commercial basis. The British inventor and chemist Charles Macintosh, in 1823, established a plant in Glasgow for the manufacture of waterproof cloth and the rainproof garments with which his name has become synonymous. A major breakthrough came in the mid 19th century with the development of the process of vulcanisation. This process gives increased strength, elasticity, and resistance to changes in temperature. It also renders rubber impermeable to gases and resistant to heat, electricity, chemical action and abrasion. Vulcanised rubber also exhibits frictional properties highly desired for pneumatic tyre application. Crude latex rubber has few uses. The major uses for vulcanised rubber are for vehicle tyres and conveyor belts, shock absorbers and anti-vibration mountings, pipes and hoses. It also serves some other specialist applications such as in pump housings and pipes for handling of abrasive sludges, power transmission belting, diving gear, water lubricated bearings, etc. In this brief, we will be looking primarily at the reclamation and reuse of scrap tyres. This is simply due to the fact that this is the major source of waste rubber in developing countries. What is rubber? Natural rubber is extracted from rubber producing plants, most notably the tree Hevea brasiliensis, which originates from South America. Nowadays, more than 90% of all natural rubber comes from these trees in the rubber plantations of Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula and Sri Lanka. The common name for this type of rubber is Para rubber. The rubber is extracted from the trees in the form of latex. The tree is tapped; that is, a diagonal incision is made in the bark of the tree and as the latex exudes from the cut it is collected in a small cup. The average annual yield is approximately 2 kg per tree or 450kg per hectare, although special high-yield trees can yield as much as 3000kg per hectare each year. The rubber is extracted from the trees in the form of latex. The tree is tapped; that is, a diagonal incision is made in the bark of the tree and as the latex exudes from the cut it is collected in a small cup. The average annual yield is approximately 2 kg per tree or 450kg per hectare, although special high-yield trees can yield as much as 3000kg per hectare each

year. The gathered latex is strained, diluted with water, and treated with acid to cause the suspended rubber particles within the latex to coagulate. After being pressed between rollers to form thin sheets, the rubber is air (or smoke) dried and is then ready for shipment.
Why reclaim or recycle rubber?

Rubber recovery can be a difficult process. There are many reasons, however why rubber should be reclaimed or recovered; Recovered rubber can cost half that of natural or synthetic rubber. Recovered rubber has some properties that are better than those of virgin rubber. Producing rubber from reclaim requires less energy in the total production process than does virgin material. It is an excellent way to dispose of unwanted rubber products, which is often difficult. It conserves non-renewable petroleum products, which are used to produce synthetic rubbers. Recycling activities can generate work in developing countries. Many useful products are derived from reused tyres and other rubber products. If tyres are incinerated to reclaim embodied energy then they can yield substantial quantities of useful power. In Australia, some cement factories use waste tyres as a fuel source. Tyre reuse and recovery in developing countries There is an enormous potential for reclamation and reuse of rubber in developing countries. There is a large wastage of rubber tyres in many countries and the aim of this brief is to give some ideas for what can be done with this valuable resource. Whether rubber tyres are reused, reprocessed or hand crafted into new products, the end result is that there is less waste and less environmental degradation as a result. In developing countries, there is a culture of reuse and recycling. Waste collectors roam residential areas in large towns and cities in search of reusable articles. Some of the products that result from the reprocessing of waste are particularly impressive and the levels of skill and ingenuity are high. Recycling artisans have integrated themselves into the
Tyre reuse and recovery in developing countries

There is an enormous potential for reclamation and reuse of rubber in developing countries. There is a large wastage of rubber tyres in many countries and the aim of this brief is to give some ideas for what can be done with this valuable resource. Whether rubber tyres are reused, reprocessed or hand crafted into new products, the end result is that there is less waste and less environmental degradation as a result. In developing countries, there is a culture of reuse and recycling. Waste collectors roam residential areas in large towns and cities in search of reusable articles. Some of the products that result from the reprocessing of waste are particularly impressive and the levels of skill and ingenuity are high. Recycling artisans have integrated themselves into the traditional market place and have created a viable livelihood for themselves in this sector. The process of tyre collection and reuse is a task carried out primarily by the informal sector. Tyres are seen as being too valuable to enter the waste stream and are collected and put to use. In Karachi, Pakistan, for example, tyres are collected and cut into parts to obtain secondary materials which can be put to good use. The beads of the tyres are removed and the rubber removed by burning to expose the steel. The tread and sidewalls are separated the tread is cut into thin strips and used to cover the wheels of donkey carts, while the sidewalls are used for the production of items such as shoe soles, slippers or washers
Sustainable Rubber Sourcing: Michelin At the end of 2001, Michelin was confronted with a combination of crucial issues surrounding its hevea tree plantation in the state of Bahia, on the northeastern coast of Brazil: poor productivity due to structural factors, the decreasing price of natural rubber, playing a key local role as an employer in a low economically developed region, and holding unique ecological wealth in the presence of endangered primary Atlantic forest. In grappling with how it could cope with these issues in a positive manner, Michelin decided to stay and implement a new business model and organizational structure. By creating a program that generates strategic social, environmental and economic results for the local community, Michelin guarantees a source of rubber supplies for its operations, enhances its reputation with consumers and environmental stakeholders, and keeps the competition at bay Natural rubber is a renewable raw material produced by the hevea tree. Its unique characteristics include malleability, elasticity, waterproofing, mechanical and thermal resistance, insulation from electricity, and grip on all types of surfaces. Natural rubber accounts for 10 to 20% of the weight of a passenger car tire, and 30 to 40% of a truck tire. World production of natural rubber reached nearly 9.7 million tonnes in 2006, with Asia/Oceania producing the bulk at nearly 9.3 million tonnes. Current rubber demand in Brazil amounts to 290,000 tonnes per year, but only 110,000 tonnes are produced in the country.

Michelins Bahia rubber plantation is located in a coastal area of southern Bahia State, roughly 200 kilometers from Salvador de Bahia in the northeastern part of the country. Encompassing some 9,800 hectares, including 5,500 hectares of cultivated areas and 3,000 hectares of forest (1,500 Atlantic Forest), it produces some 3,000 tonnes of natural rubber annually. The rubber factory, which also processes the rubber of local farmers, produces 10% of total Brazilian output. It is ISO 14001 certified and employs some 600 people.

At the end of 2001, several factors pushed Michelin to take dramatic steps. In light of the sharp decline in rubber prices and the yield of the sites 2.5 million trees as they reached the end of their productive lives, the need to invest in replanting to ensure production levels, the low productivity in the area due to its topography and the mountainous nature of the terrain and the dissemination of the Microcyclus Ulei leaf disease, and as the main employer in the region, Michelin was forced to decide if it should stay and suffer the consequences, or leave and suffer the consequences. What Michelin did Michelin took the bold decision of staying in the area, but under different circumstances. To protect the health of the rubber tree crop in Brazil, Michelin is investing in a sustainable agriculture program, which will generate strategic social, environmental and economic results. The basic idea was to divide the original plantation in 12 medium-sized plantations of 400 hectares each and sell them to Brazilian Michelin managers, enabling them to replant with the new varieties of rubber tree resistant to Microcyclus, and to develop other types of culture between the lines of hevea, such as cocoa and banana. At the same time, it created the supporting infrastructure, governance and systems required for the rehabilitation of the local community and the management and sale of these farms cocoa production. In effect, Michelin decided to maintain 1,800 hectares of land as well as the basic infrastructure (processing units, roads, logistics, etc.), the research laboratory looking into combating the Microcyclus Ulei leaf disease, and to buy the rubber from the 12 new plantations. The company also created ecological corridors that link the three patches of Atlantic forest in order to create continuity from the ocean coast to the inland areas covering some 3,000 hectares. Michelin is working closely with the local government and biodiversity groups to develop these corridors. The rubber tree plantations that flourish in this area will be temporarily exploited, while efforts of replanting forest in the corridor will be continuous.

In addition to these actions, the company has developed family-owned rubber plantations by providing small neighboring farms (1,000 families) with resistant varieties of hevea produced by the breeding research program led by Michelin and CIRAD (Centre International pour la Recherche Agronomique et le Dveloppement). Michelin also decided to donate 18 hectares of land for the construction of a new village, named Nova Igrapiuna, mainly for the tappers and their families. The construction was financed by a federal loan organization and is managed as a partnership by Michelin and the municipal government. The village is equipped with modern water processing units and includes green open spaces, medical facilities and schools. In the plantation, more than 200 kilometers of paths and road infrastructure were renovated or constructed. These investments and projects were made possible by the many partnerships forged by Michelin with local officials, non-governmental organizations, regional associations, unions, banks and public authorities, such as the State of Bahia and Banco Nordeste do Brasil for the loans granted to the new owners to buy the land and invest in replanting. After a survey of the territory and its species, a re-forestation program was also initiated. The project has also reintroduced animals and encouraged eco-tourism in the area surrounding the waterfall to better protect the environment. Results The 12 medium-sized plantations are in operation, there are 500 hectares of cocoa plantation, the original 600 employees are still working, and 150 new jobs have been created. Moreover, natural rubber production has increased by 11%. The plantation had a total turnover of US$ 3.1 million in 2006, beating the forecasted US$ 2.5 million. It aims to increase that to US$ 10 million in 2023, with US$ 8 million of that coming from rubber and the rest from cocoa. The project aims to bring in about US$ 40,000 a year for a medium-sized landowner. Michelin is continuing its research into Microcyclus ulei with CIRAD, which is now part of a research program led by the International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB). Several Asian institutes are to receive 14 resistant varieties of rubber tree selected for testing on experimental plots of land in 2008. The station, which is still on site, continues to develop family-run rubber cultivation by supplying neighboring small-scale farmers with resistant young rubber trees. After having donated 20,000 plants in 2005, 200,000 plants per year have been supplied at cost since 2006. By empowering the people who depend on it for their livelihoods, the plantation is now in better condition than when Michelin was in charge. And with prices climbing along with other commodities, the local community sees that it makes sense to be a producer, giving a guaranteed source of supply. Michelin expects to buy the rubber from the mid-sized plantations, but the project is under no obligation to sell its output back to the company. As well as helping to secure its future rubber requirements, the project serves to enhance its reputation with consumers and environmental stakeholders.