Bridgestone plans to commercialize guayule natural rubber

Tire manufacturer Bridgestone has announced plans to invest an additional $42 million to commercialize guayule as a domestic source of natural rubber and a sustainable crop in the southwestern U.S. deserts.

The investment will be used to establish commercial operations by collaborating with local U.S. farmers and Native American tribes, enabling the expansion of production capacity through the creation of up to 10,000 additional acres of agricultural land for planting and harvesting the desert shrub tree. 

Bridgestone aims to begin sustainable commercial production of natural rubber from guayule by 2030.