When thoughts of auto manufacturing come to mind, they are most often accompanied by images of factories that pollute waterways and send plumes of thick, choking smoke into the air. However, these images may soon be a thing of the past if the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany is able to implement an idea that they have been working on that involves converting a common weed into something that is useful.

Introducing Continental to Dandelions

Continental is one of the most popular tire manufacturers in the world. Recently, they began working in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institute on the idea of being able to use these dandelions in the rubber production process for their tires. Although there are many varieties of dandelion, so far only one particular species from Russia is capable of being able to produce enough rubber for current research purposes. The development and research stage of this project is expected to last approximately 5 years.

Why Dandelions are being Considered

In most cases, tire manufacturers have to rely solely on imports of rubber products from warmer tropical climates to produce their products. This is not only costly; it also results in significant amounts of greenhouse gases being produced as a result of the raw material having to be transported across the country. Should the dandelions prove to be a successful alternative, planting and cultivating them as close as possible to the tire manufacturing plants would ensure a steady supply of raw materials. This would not only reduce transport costs of the raw materials; it would also reduce the possibility of downtime occurring as a result of having to wait for shipments to arrive.

Changing the Automotive Industry

These days, more and more manufacturers are accepting responsibility for their carbon footprint. Should the humble dandelion turn out to be a successful alternative in the rubber manufacturing process, it would open the door for other manufacturers to explore the idea of using recyclable materials as well. Although it is often thought that using recyclable products is more expensive than raw materials, this is not always the case. Many times, the cost of transportation of virgin materials to factories is forgotten when calculating manufacturing costs.

Doing Your bit to go Green

While not everyone is able to afford the purchase of hybrid or electric vehicles, it is hopeful that the cost of these tires will be affordable enough for most car owners to consider using them. However, this will only be determined once the initial testing phase has been completed. If the project proves to be successful and the tires are manufactured on a large-scale basis, they should eventually become more affordable than their traditional rubber counterparts. Although it may not seem like much of a difference can be made with changing the raw material source of the tires, every effort that is made to reduce our carbon footprint will go a long way in preserving the earth’s fast-depleting and often fragile natural resources. Above Image Source: Flickr/CreativeCommons/Steve Snodgrass