Rubber boots made of natural rubber: advantages over synthetic

Unlike synthetic materials, natural rubber is not made from petroleum. In this practical tip, we show you how sustainable rubber boots made of natural rubber really are.

Rubber boots made of natural rubber - the manufacture

Natural rubber is made from latex and grown mainly in Asia, especially in Indonesia. This is how rubber boots are made from natural rubber:

• For the production, the trunks of rubber trees are scratched, whereby the plant milk, also called latex, comes out.
• The latex is then enriched with acetic acid, which coagulates the raw material and can be prepared for further transport.
• At the destination, the material is then processed into rubber boots, yoga mats and other products.

Advantages of rubber boots made of natural rubber

No petroleum is required to manufacture rubber boots from natural rubber. In addition, such rubber boots also offer other advantages:

• Natural rubber has the same properties as synthetic. The material is elastic, tear-resistant, water-repellent and very resistant to environmental influences.
• Rubber trees can release latex over a very long period of time and are not damaged in the process.
• If cultivation is carried out in mixed crops, rubber extraction from latex is sustainable and protects the environment.

Rubber boots made of natural rubber - the disadvantages

However, natural rubber is often not grown in a particularly environmentally friendly manner. In addition, the production cannot take place in Germany due to the climatic conditions. The material therefore has to be imported from far away and thus passively damages the environment.

• Due to the cultivation in monocultures, only rubber trees are planted over huge areas and treated massively with pesticides.
• According to the Handelsblatt, over 13 million hectares of land are densely populated with rubber trees. This takes away the country's life and fertile soil from the people in this region.
• On rubber plantations there is often child labor and people have to do hazardous work. Therefore, when buying rubber boots made of natural rubber, pay attention to certified organic products.

Natural rubber is a versatile material. In the next post we will show you what latex paint is and where the advantages and disadvantages lie.