Orthodontic Natural Rubber Pacifier

The term natural rubber or caoutchouc (from Indian, meaning tears of weeping tree) refers to a coagulated or precipitated product obtained from latex of rubber trees – latex is natural clogging substance during healing of wounds caused by mechanical injury of these plants and it serves mainly as defense against herbivorous insects.

Natural rubber is often vulcanized – a process by which the rubber is heated and some substances (sulfur, peroxide or bisphenol) added to improve resistance and elasticity and to prevent it from perishing.

Although natural rubber is biodegradable, vulcanized rubber (commonly present in our shoes) and rubber from tires are non-biodegradable.

Fair Rubber
Low prices drive natural rubber producers into poverty and serious violations of working rights are common. This is the harsh reality revealed in a the study conducted by Aidenvironment . The comprehensive review of literature reveals numerous cases of inadequate safety standards, inappropriate use of toxic chemicals, discrimination and structurally long working hours and child labour. It points to the need for more responsible sourcing practices by the rubber industry with particular attention to fair trading conditions.

Wild Rubber
Over half the rubber we use is synthetic. Some 11 million tons is natural rubber, mainly grown in large plantations in Asia. Less than 1% comes from rubber trees growing wild in the Amazon where rubber originated.
But wild rubber could be making a comeback – and that’s good news for the Amazon. Sustainably harvesting wild rubber from the rainforest is improving the livelihoods of local people – and providing an economic incentive to keep the forest standing.

Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber (commonly named “rubber”) is not a sustainable material as it is made from petroleum.