Natural rubber at a glance

A unique material offering unparalled properties such as elasticity, permeability, mechanical resistance, and electrical insulation.

What is Natural Rubber?

Natural rubber, the tears of a tree - Rubber is harvested by slicing the bark of the rubber tree. The term rubber comes from the indigenous Amazonian words "kau" and "chuk", which together mean "weeping wood".

Rubber cultivation

Native to the Amazon rainforest, the hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) grows well in all tropical areas. Today, most of the production takes place in South East Asia.

The principle of rubber farming is simple. Trees are planted, about 550 per hectare, and grow for 6 or 7 years. The latex can then be collected over a period of 20 to 30 years. A single rubber tree produces 60-150 kg of rubber during its lifetime.

The collected latex can be stored in liquid or coagulated form. It is then processed in factories where it is washed, homogenized, and dried before being supplied to industry.

The natural rubber industry uses few chemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. It helps to preserve the soil from erosion and plays a role in stabilizing the climate. Rubber farming acts as a carbon trap.

Finally, trees are also useful at the end of their life. Their wood can be used either to make furniture or as a source of renewable energy.

Natural Rubber at a glance

1 Ha.

~ 500 rubber trees = up to 2 tons of natural rubber/year

14.5 MT

13 Mha 90% in Asia (2022/2023)

250 tons

of carbon stored per hectare during the trees’ lifespan

85%

of world production is done by smallholders

¾ of Natural Rubber

used to make tires

~ 6M farmers,

~ 30M jobs direct & indirect worldwide, ~ 2M farmers in Michelin's supply chain

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Natural rubber value chain

Michelin supports a responsible and resilient management of the natural rubber value chain.

It is essential that rubber is produced in a responsible manner to contribute to the sustainable mobility of tomorrow.
The five main groups of stakeholders involved in the value chain are:

The five main groups

Cultivating, harvesting and processing natural rubber provides stakeholders in the supply chain with regular and sustainable revenue while contributing to the development of rural areas.

Natural Rubber in tires

A highly wear resistant material particularly suited for earthmovers, trucks and planes.

There is no mobility without tires...and no high-performance tires without natural rubber: its properties make it unique.

A tire is above all rubber, a large proportion of which is natural rubber. The amount used depends therefore on the size and the type of tire.

The MICHELIN GC5 earthmover tire is the largest on the market; it requires around one tonne of natural rubber.

Finally, sustainable natural rubber contributes to the Group’s 100% sustainable tire ambition.